pleasanton weekly 11.30.2012 - section 1

WeeklyPleasanton

WWW.PLEASANTONWEEKLY.COM

INSIDE THIS WEEK

■ NEWS: Council OKs splitting downtown into two districts 5

■ NEWS: PUSD considering building new elementary school 5

■ NEWS: Hometown Holiday Celebration tomorrow on Main St. 6

■ TRI-VALLEY HEROES: Courage, Environmental Stewardship 12

HOLIDAY FUND

BUSINESS NEWS 816

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGSSpecial events add zest

to the season » 18

SUPPORTING INDEPENDENCE

Pleasanton is a good place to grow old, thanks to Senior Support Program of the Tri-Valley >>14

November 30, 2012 Pleasanton Weekly

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Pleasanton Weekly November 30, 2012

Courtrooms in Pleasanton’s Su-perior Courts building on Ston-eridge Drive aren’t usually packed with celebrants and colorful bal-loons. But there was standing-room only space available last Saturday as Family Court Judge Steve Pulido signed the adoption papers mak-ing Julie Fox the legal mother of 2-year-old Zekiah (Zeke) Jude, who she’s had as a foster parent since he was 4 days old. Even Pulido, who lives near Julie and has gotten to know little Zeke, joined in the festivities, walking around the courtroom in shirt-sleeves and talking to the cheer-ing group before donning the traditional judge’s garments for the proceeding. During much of that time, Zeke, held by his new mother, pounded on the table and exchanged smiling facial glances with the judge. Behind Julie in the courtroom were friends and associates from Sunset Elementary School in Livermore, where she has taught for the last 19 years, and her parents, Realtor Tom Fox and his wife Sue, both active in community leadership efforts in the Tri-Valley. Foster care is not for everybody, Julie said later. Those who choose to become a foster or adoptive parent embark on one of the most fulfilling relationships with a child, providing loving homes at a time in their lives when they most need unconditional love. It’s also a risk. When you qualify as a foster parent and come home with a needy child, it may be for two days or you might have him forever. Julie agreed to that when she picked up Zeke at Highland Hospital, where county officials had taken him away from his unwed parents who were on drugs and into prostitution. By law, a biological parent is given opportunities to straighten their lives out and seek to regain the child. Zeke’s mother tried, but at county Social Services hearings scheduled six months apart, she failed to make the cut. Zeke’s father never tried. In the end, the agency determined that Zeke would be in a better situ-ation with Julie than his birth par-ents could provide, and allowed the adoption process to go forward. Now Julie is hoping to adopt Zoey, 3, who she was assigned as a foster care parent when the baby was 17 months old. Zoey was in what the county’s Child Protec-tive Care agency called “a neglect-ful situation.” She had been liv-ing mostly on the streets with her

homeless and unmarried parents since birth when county officials found her and placed her in foster care. At the time, Julie recalls, Zoey had skivvies, couldn’t walk, talk or even crawl although she was 1-1/2 years old. Today, she’s a well-fed, healthy 3-year-old. On Dec. 11, the county will hold another hearing to determine if Julie should also be awarded permanent custody of Zoey so that adoption proceedings can begin. For Julie Fox, 42, who’s not married, becoming the parent of two toddlers is quite a lifestyle, but welcome, change. Active in the Cornerstone Fellowship, a large Livermore church, she went on church missions to Africa in recent years, both to Kenya where Cor-nerstone has an orphanage, and then to Ghana, where it is building a hospital to house medical teams that will go into the bush country to find and treat ailing natives. Although she’s become attached to those missions, serving as a fos-ter parent to two African-American babies had nothing to do with that background. When she applied for a foster care opportunity, she left it open as to who she might receive, leaving the ethnicity, gender, race and all other boxes of requirements unchecked. With a large percentage of the country’s 400,000 children and youths in the foster care system, she was not surprised that the two Aftican-Americans she’s been called on to nurture are black. She renamed Zeke with Biblical names. Zekiah means “Strengthened by God;” his middle name Jude means “Things hoped for and finally realized.” The name Zoey, who she’ll hopefully be able to adopt early next year, stands for, well, just Zoey.

AROUND PLEASANTON

BY JEB BING

Cheers for Julie Fox on adoption day

About the CoverMarlene Peterson, executive director of Senior Support Program of the Tri-Valley, discusses an issue with community activist Jack Dove. He discovered the organization when a neighbor of his needed help to remain in her home. Photo by Dolores Fox Ciardelli. Design by Kristin Herman.

Vol. XIII, Number 46

JEB BING

Family Court Judge Steve Pulido joins Julie Fox and 2-year-old Zeke, who’s been in her foster care since four days after he was born, in his Pleasanton courtroom last Saturday where he signed the adoption papers she has long been seeking.

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2012

StreetwiseAROUND TOWN

What should be the priorities of the new Pleasanton City Council being sworn in next week?

Susan ReidEducator

Maybe our new mayor could support the same peace activities that (Mayor) Jennifer Hosterman did.

Bill LawsonRetired

I’d like to see the City Council move for-ward on the little Walmart grocery store. I’d like to see that opened.

Bill BlankenshipRetired

Pleasanton’s a pretty nice city and every-thing seems to be going pretty well.

Alda LawsonChildren’s ministry

Keeping within budget and also the new housing around Hacienda.

Catherine Ndungu-CaseCEO and founder of a nonprofit

I think the most important thing to me is diversity. There should be public space available (for nonprofit groups to meet).

Have a Streetwise question? E-mail [email protected]


The Pleasanton Weekly is published every Friday by Embarcadero Media, 5506 Sunol Blvd., Suite 100, Pleasanton, CA 94566; (925) 600-0840. Mailed at Periodicals Postage Rate, USPS 020407. The Weekly is mailed upon request to homes and apartments in Pleasanton. Print subscriptions for businesses or residents of other communities are $60 per year or $100 for two years. Go to www.PleasantonWeekly.com to sign up and for more informa-tion. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Pleasanton Weekly, 5506 Sunol Blvd., Suite 100, Pleasanton, CA 94566. © 2012 by Embarcadero Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited.

—Glenn Wohltmann

WEEKLY MEETING NOTICES

The above represents a sampling of upcoming meeting items. For complete information, please visit

www.ci.pleasanton.ca.us/community/calendar

City CouncilTuesday, December 4, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.Council Chamber, 200 Old Bernal Avenue

Improvement District Assessment for 2013

Development Impact Fees (AB1600 and SB1693) collected are unexpended

Commissions

Human Services CommissionWednesday, December 5, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.Council Chamber, 200 Old Bernal Avenue

East Pleasanton Specific Plan Task ForceThursday, December 6, 2012 at 6:30 p.m.

Civic Arts Commission

Commissions and Committees Recruitment

committees:

ALL MEETINGS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND PUBLIC COMMENT IS WELCOME

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NewsfrontCoat drive for needy children Tri Valley Rotary is collecting coats for local students whose families may not be able to af-ford them. Club secretary Carol Vander Meulen said donations of new or gently used coats for children ages 2-16 will benefit those in need, as well as coats for adults and infants. Collection locations in Pleas-anton are:■ Bank of America’s downtown Pleasanton branch on Main Street■ ClubSport Pleasanton, 7090 Johnson Drive, Pleasanton■ Coffee Co., 5424 Sunol Blvd., in the Raley’s Shopping Center■ Hairlights Salon, 4307 Valley Ave., Suite F, Pleasanton In Livermore, collection loca-tions are:■ Casse Croute Bakery, 50 S. Liv-ermore Ave., near First Street■ Pacific Coast Seed, 533 Haw-thorne Place, Livermore Donations must be made by Dec. 14 to be distributed the next day. For more information, email [email protected].

Giving tree returns to PPD The Pleasanton Police Of-ficers Association Christmas Fund is once again collecting gifts for local families in need of special care this upcoming holiday season. The association provides gifts both to families in need and to senior citizens who are often overlooked. The association has received the names of needy families and seniors within the community and is now looking for people to provide Christmas gifts. Any-one interested in donating to a needy family or senior in Pleas-anton can pick up a gift tag at the Pleasanton Police Depart-ment. The tags list the gifts requested. For more information, contact Officer Ryan Dawson, Officer Michael Rossillon or Dispatcher Betsy Jones at 931-5100.

Send us your Santa photos Are your kids planning to visit Santa? If you have a photo you’d like to share, send it to us at [email protected]. Please write “Santa photo” in the subject line, and we ask that photos be at least 500K. Also send the names of the children in the photo, the names of the parents, where you ran into Santa, where you live, where the children attend school, and anything else you think might be interesting in the caption. We plan to use the photos in our Dec. 21 issue. And, yes, we are also interest-ed in photos of pets with Santa.

DIGEST


BY JEB BING The Pleasanton City Council on Tuesday night approved a new plan to split downtown busi-nesses into two districts to promote more late-night entertainment in the Main Street area but curb noise and operating hours for businesses closer to downtown homes and apartments. The council’s action wrapped up nearly three years of bickering among businesses and regu-lators over how much more sizzle bars and restaurants should be given to attract late night revelers to the downtown. Up to now, businesses had to seek special use permits to stay open after 10 p.m., often with different decisions and time limits from the regulators. The new guidelines would move per-mitted operating uses to 11 p.m. with no permit required in what is now the “Core” district, but will keep the 10 p.m. closing time for the new “Transition” district. Higher noise levels also will be allowed in the

Core district, with the capped level moving from 70 decibels (dBA) to 74 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, and from 60 dBA to 70 at other times. Businesses located in the Transition area would be restricted to 60 dBA at all times, as measured from their property lines. The approval of a staff recommendation came despite grumblings by some council members who criticized the new plan for expanding the core district too much from what’s currently viewed as the downtown’s nightlife areas as well as questions by others over why limits are being imposed on the new Transition district. “I think this plan is entirely arbitrary and will hurt the property values of those in that district,” argued Councilwoman Cheryl Cook-Kallio. She said she had heard from three property owners on Peters Avenue who believe their land values will be diminished under the new guide-

lines. In the end, the council agreed that those in the Transition district could have an opportu-nity to petition city staff to have their properties moved into the Core district with staff approval. Once the new two-district plan is locked into place, however, those wanting to transfer will have to seek permits from both the city Planning Commission and City Council, a requirement that Councilman and Mayor-elect Jerry Thorne called “onerous.” Councilman Matt Sullivan objected to the city staff’s recommendation to expand the Core district closer to Peters Avenue and residences across that street. He noted that a task force set up to consider making downtown Pleasanton more hospitable to nighttime entertainment voted 6-5 to hold the line farther away from Peters, a decision also backed by the Planning

Council OKs splitting downtown into two districts‘Core’ can stay open late; ‘Transition’ businesses can’t

PUSD to consider new elementary

schoolBond issue discussed, will be ‘a

decision for a later time’BY GLENN WOHLTMANN

The Pleasanton School Board will have to de-cide whether to build a new elementary school at an estimated cost of $34 million or spend an equal amount to expand other schools, accord-ing to a draft report from the consultant group doing a district-wide facilities master plan. In a study session Tuesday night, the board heard that two schools are expected to receive an influx of students by 2016 as a result of transit-oriented housing projects. The district’s goal is to keep elementary schools at about 600 students, although board members agreed with the consultants, LPA Inc., that a range of 600 to 700 would be acceptable. The district will explore options, which in-clude buying a site, which was not included in the $34 million price tag, and building the new school or expanding existing schools. School Board Member Valerie Arkin also suggested expanding Hart Middle School to educate kin-dergarteners through eighth-graders. “Whether we build that separate school, we still have to house these kids and that would cost the same amount,” Superintendent Parvin Ahmadi told the board. Ahmadi, who has been an elementary school principal, supports keeping elementaries at around 600 students. Beyond the cost of building a new elementary school, it would run about $600,000 a year to operate, which led to requests for more informa-tion from the board. “I think we need to explore our options,” said Board Member Jamie Hintzke. Arkin was also uncertain about whether the district needs a new school. If the district de-cides not to build a school, boundaries would have to be adjusted for the new students. Tuesday night was the first time the board discussed the possibility of a bond issue to cover costs of the school and other improvements. “That would be a decision going forward, whether we’re going out for a bond,” said Board President Joan Laursen. “That would be a deci-

Principal Greg Giglio is leaving Village High, the district’s alternative school, after seven years at the helm to take a position as principal at Homestead High in Cupertino. “It became an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” Giglio said. He expects to begin at the 2,400-student school in January, but added, “I’m not going to go until everything is in place here.” It’s Giglio’s 13th year in the district and seventh at Village. He spent two years as an English teacher at Amador Valley high, then became assistant principal under Bill Coupe, who retired in 2010. Giglio replaced Kale Alderson who was hired as principal of Village in 2005 but left after one year. He’s been a popular principal during his time at Village, navigating the school through some tough times that include three suicides in five years, and good times, too. “I’ll miss the Thanksgiving feast, that’s al-ways been the greatest,” Giglio said. “Every graduation has been special, kids who weren’t going to make it in one way or another, claw-

ing their way through.” In a letter to parents and students, Giglio said the process to find his replacement has already begun. “As part of the process, the district would like to invite parents to participate by coming to a meeting on Thursday November 29 at 6 p.m. in the Village Multipurpose Room to discuss what qualities you would like to see in the next principal,” Giglio’s letter read. “Stu-dent feedback will be collected at a meeting on November 28.” The initial interview will be held Dec. 6, and will include district administrators, Village staff and parents. “The final decision could possibly be made by mid-December, and I will begin working with the successful candidate to help make as smooth a transition as possible,” Giglio said in his letter. Those who were unable to attend the Nov. 29 meeting but would like to give input can contact Bill Faraghan, assistant superintendent of human resources, at 426-4348 or at [email protected].

—Glenn Wohltmann

Village principal taking job in CupertinoParents and students asked to participate in replacement process

GLENN WOHLTMANN

Greg Giglio, principal at Village High School for the past seven years and with the district for 13, is leav-ing for a high school in the South Bay.

See SCHOOLS on Page 6

See COUNCIL on Page 6


NEWS

Commission. He said an initial plan excluded more businesses from the Core dis-trict, including Barone’s Restaurant and Fernando’s, which would have been fine with him. With regard to concerns over noise during nighttime entertain-ment hours, Thorne pointed out that a noise expert said that the dBA would be no higher than 60 by the time it reached the closest residences no matter how loud the dBA measured at the businesses, themselves. That prompted questions over the need to even establish a Transi-tion district. Although the council chambers was filled, mostly by downtown business representatives and a few living near the downtown district, all of the 15 speakers who ad-dressed the council supported the

new plan, especially the rules that softened noise and operating hour restrictions. “All restaurants and bars will benefit by these changes,” said Mike Hughes, owner of Baci’s on Main Street. “We have a conditional use permit to sell liquor until mid-night, but it’s been a struggle (to attract customers) because of the rule that has labeled this town as shutting down at 9 p.m.” Joe Barone agreed. He said Bar-one’s has been open for 18 years and is now the oldest restaurant in downtown Pleasanton. “As a business owner, it kills me when people come in and ask why the downtown is so quiet,” he said. “They point out that it’s not that way in Livermore. Let’s get this down-town happy again where it was 18 years ago when we came here.” Businessman Gene Finch, who lives in a downtown residence, said he likes the new plan but has concerns over “nuisances” not ad-

dressed by the rule makers, includ-ing trash and maintenance noises that follow the restaurant and bar closings. He said he’s gone out to his front yard in the mornings and had to clean up what drunks have left behind. Cook-Kallio said she has seen those “leftovers” in her early morn-ing walks downtown. She joined with Councilwoman Cindy McGov-ern in urging police to increase their downtown patrols now so that new revelers coming to Pleasanton’s late-night entertainment establish-ments get to know that they’re being watched when they leave. “We’re just going to have to jump in and see how this works,” out-going Mayor Jennifer Hosterman said. In approving the new plan, the council also asked city staff to re-port back in a year with an annual report on how well the two new districts have been functioning.

COUNCILContinued from Page 5

sion for a later time.” A bond measure would have to be approved by voters. Nearly $500 million in im-provements were recommended after a yearlong facilities mas-ter plan study, which looked at schools and conducted surveys of principals, teachers and parents. LPA Inc. came up with three levels of improvements at schools, which could be phased in and implemented over time. Level one would be of the lowest cost and highest impact and totals more than $92 million, although board members asked that category be broken down to separate imme-diate needs — dubbed “squeaky and leaky” by Board Member Jeff Bowser. That first level would include district-wide technology improvements and building im-provements at elementary, middle and high schools. A second level of medium cost, short range priorities recommend-ed by LPA, which includes new classrooms at the four oldest el-ementary schools and building a new elementary school, would run more than $210 million, and a third level, high-cost and long range, would cost more than $188 mil-lion and would include classrooms, landscape and field improvements. Not all the improvements are likely to occur, at least within the 10-year time frame covered in the facilities plan. “The master plan is not a line in the sand,” said Jim Kisel, LPA’s director of school planning. In terms of funding, the district can expect to bring in a little more than $21 million from developer fees over the next 10 years, accord-ing to the report, and could add nearly $12 million by using funds

it has on hand, including liquidat-ing the Sycamore fund, which was created by the sale of land. That money would have to be used to buy land for a new school. The district could also bring in a potential of $2.3 million for new construction and nearly $13.5 mil-lion from the state, although that money is uncertain, according to Ann Feng-Gagne, who worked with LPA to come up with demo-graphic and financing information. Another option that could bring in some revenue would be to sell the land that houses the district offices, warehouses and Village High School and relocate them to the 13-acre Neal property on the east side of town, which is already owned by the district. How much it could earn from that sale is dependant on market conditions. Feng-Gagne estimated it would cost $37.7 million to relocate, and the sale of property could bring in between $18.5 million and nearly $67.7 million. Although the district could sell the Neal property, it would have to repay money contributed by the state for its purchase. It is not being considered as a location for a new school because it is outside the area where growth is expected to occur. The district will also have to repay nearly $12 million in out-standing debt during the 10-year time frame included in the LPA study, and about $14.5 million between 2021 and 2030. That debt would have to be addressed — although not necessarily paid off — while dealing with the growth it expects. Bowser noted that while the influx of students isn’t happening yet. “We have time to plan,” he said. “The growth is going to happen over time.”

SCHOOLSContinued from Page 5

A survey group commissioned by the city of Pleasanton has start-ed a telephone survey of residents to seek input on a new compre-hensive Parks and Recreation Mas-ter Plan. Susan Andrade-Wax, the city’s director of Parks and Community Services, said the new plan “is in-tended to be a significant planning tool to help the city plan for the changing scope of recreational ac-tivities.” “It will summarize themes,

trends and community priorities, assess available resources, review existing and anticipated demo-graphic conditions and provide strategies for parks, recreation programs and open space needs,” she said. The random telephone survey is being conducted by Network Ltd., a consumer research firm. “The city is extremely interested in the community’s opinions for future planning of park and recre-ational facilities as well as a variety

of programs and services over the next 15 years,” Andrade-Wax said. “We hope that residents will assist by answering the brief survey.” Additional information regard-ing the Parks and Recreation Mas-ter Plan can be downloaded at www.ci.pleasanton.ca.us.. For questions regarding the tele-phone survey, call Andrade-Wax at 931-5340 or contact by email at [email protected].

—Jeb Bing

BY GLENN WOHLTMANN The Livermore man wanted in a Nov. 14 stabbing at Las Ventanas apartments in the 3800 block of Vineyard Avenue in Pleasanton has been arrested. Jesse Serpa, 33, was taken into custody at about 6 p.m. Nov. 26 near his sister’s home in Manteca. P leasanton police worked with Livermore police to deter-mine Serpa was staying with his sister and he was arrested in the neigh-borhood where his sister lives. “It was just a tip that we got. We acted on the tip and it turned out to be reli-able,” said Pleasanton police Sgt. Kurt Schlehuber. Serpa was booked into Santa Rita Jail on one count of attempt-ed murder. Bail has not been set.

He was identified as the suspect by the victim, who was stabbed once in the chest during an alter-cation at the apartment complex. Initial reports said the two men began arguing with each other and started fighting; during the course of the fight the suspect produced a knife and stabbed the victim one time and then fled on foot. Police arrived on the scene at about 9 p.m. after receiving several 911 calls about a stabbing at the complex. Schlehuber said both the sus-pect and victim have differing accounts of what caused the con-flict. “There was a fight and they both have their own interpreta-tion of what led to the fight and they both believe they were in the right,” he said. The victim, a 30-year-old Liver-more resident, was taken to Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley for treatment of his injury, which was not life threatening.

BY JEB BING Santa Claus is coming to town tomorrow, joining in both the city’s annual holiday parade on Main Street and the tree lighting that follows in front of the Museum on Main. The parade will start at 5 p.m., with bands, decorated cars and festive marchers stepping out from the parking lot at Amador Valley High School. The Foothill High marching band will lead the parade, with the Amador Valley High marching band in the middle of the hour-long parade, both playing fes-tive Christmas and other holiday music past three reviewing stands where announcers will describe the floats, organizations and walk-ing groups passing by. Scores of holiday inspired en-tries include the Pleasanton Week-ly’s Holiday Fund car, the Cen-terpointe Presbyterian Church’s men’s club Balloon Platoon, a horse-drawn wagon carrying the

Pleasanton City Council, hun-dreds of Cub Scouts and Brownies, local car clubs, dog clubs and, of course, Santa Claus. Parade coordinator Michelle Stearns of the Pleasanton Parks and Community Services Depart-ment said there are 82 entries signed up to participate Saturday with 2,875 individuals in all and 1,633 walkers. Also in the parade will be 42 cars, 13 floats, four bands and five animal en-tries, including dog groups and horses. Each year, the high school bands take turns going first in the pa-rade, with the other one strategi-cally placed in the middle so both can help keep the tempo for the other entries, Stearns said. The Foothill band will be fol-lowed by the VFW and American Legion Color Guard. Stearns said parade participants also will in-clude the Pleasanton Rugby Club, Pleasanton Seahawks, Elvis, the Tri Valley Roller Girls, Fiona the

cow from the Adobe and Harvest Park Middle School’s Cheer Squad and jazz band. One of the highlights will be a real One Horse Open Sleigh re-stored by Brad Haupt, who lives on a 5-acre parcel about six miles north of the Pleasanton city lim-its. He said the sleigh was used by his ancestors from 1890-1910, but then packed away when they started using automobiles. Recent-ly, he restored it using authentic extra thin-wood and fabric where needed. The tree lighting will take place when the parade is over with Mayor Hosterman pulling the switch for the last time. Her eight-year term of office expires Tues-day evening and the city’s newly elected mayor and Councilman Jerry Thorne will be sworn in. In the event of rain, a parade cancellation telephone hotline, 931-5352, will be updated each hour after 2:30 p.m. on parade day.

Survey under way for new parks, recreation plan for Pleasanton

Outside firm making random calls to solicit public views

Stabbing suspect arrested in Manteca

Police received tip man was staying with sister

Hometown Holiday parade kicks off at 5 p.m. tomorrow downtown

Nearly 3,000 in parade as thousands watch from sidewalks

Jesse Serpa


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Coco’s 7505 Dublin Blvd. Dublin


for one of our friendly, informational events to learn how one of our Medicare Advantage plans can be the perfect fit for you.

CAREMORE (HMO AND HMO SNP) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN THE TRI-VALLEY AREA.Now you can experience the CareMore difference firsthand.

We may be new to your neighborhood, but we’ve been providing innovative and focused healthcare for more than 15 years. At CareMore, you get much more than just a doctor — you get a team of medical professionals devoted to improving your health.

Get a FREE* TOTE BAG as our gift to you just

for attending a local meeting.

*No obligation required. While supplies last.

CareMore (HMO & HMO SNP) is a coordinated care plan with a Medicare contract. The benefit information provided is a brief summary, not a complete description of benefits. Limitations, copayments, and restrictions may apply. Benefits, formulary, pharmacy network, premium and/or copayments/coinsurance may change on January 1, of each year. You must continue to pay your Medicare Part B premium. This information is available for free in other languages. Please contact Member Services at 1-800-499-2793, TDD/TTY users should call 711. 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., 7 days a week (October 1 - February 14) and Monday - Friday (February 15 - September 30). Esta información también está disponible de forma gratuita en otros idiomas. Por favor llame al departamento de servicios para miembros al 1-800-499-2793 (los usuarios de TTY deben llamar al 711), de 8 a.m. a 8 p.m., 7 días a la semana de octubre 1 a febrero 14 y de 8 a.m. a 8 p.m. de lunes a viernes de febrero 15 a septiembre 30. For more information contact CareMore. A sales person will be present with information and applications. For accommodation of persons with special needs at sales meetings, call 1-800-499-2793; TTY users should call 711 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., 7 days a week (October 1 - February 14) and Monday - Friday (February 15 - September 30). *Free with no obligation while supplies last. Y0017_111237A CHP Accepted (12012012)


Cut your holiday expensesWhen time is short, it’s usually your budget that suffers

Many online sellers don’t have to collect

sales taxOnly ‘handful’ of firms respond to notice of new California rules

BY JASON ALDERMAN The closer the holidays loom, the less time harried families have to buy gifts, plan seasonal events and make travel ar-rangements. Unfortunately, when time is at a premium and you’re forced to make last-minute decisions, it’s usually your budget that suffers. As an occasional pro-crastinator myself, let me share a few tips I’ve picked up over the years that can help take the expense, and stress, out of holiday planning. Before you start shop-ping, calculate how much you can afford to spend on the holidays as a portion of your overall budget. If your finances are in good shape, spend no more than 1.5 % of your annual income. But if you’re deeply in debt, can’t meet your regular monthly expenses or don’t have an emergency fund, this isn’t the time to rack up additional debt. Once you determine an overall amount, tally up expected holiday-related expenses including gifts, decorations, new clothes and accessories, gift wrap, cards, post-age, special meals and year-end gratuities. Don’t forget travel-related expenses if you plan to leave town, and try to recall unan-

ticipated expenses from last year. If you’re looking for ways to cut back, consider:■ Arrange gift lotteries with family mem-bers and friends so everyone concentrates their time, effort and money on buying fewer, nicer gifts.■ Speak candidly with friends, cowork-ers and extended family about placing a moratorium on exchanging gifts. They’re probably feeling the pinch too.■ If the gift-giving gesture is important to you, suggest pooling resources with others to make a sizeable contribution to a char-ity you all believe in. Once you’ve determined your overall holiday spending budget -- and before you start shopping -- make a detailed list that includes:■ Everyone on your shopping list.■ Spending limits and several gift alterna-tives for each person.■ How much you actually spend on each gift. If you overspend on one present you’ll need to make up for it elsewhere.■ What you gave each person -- to avoid giving them the same thing next year.■ What each person gave you to avoid “re-gifting” disasters later on.■ Other expenses (decorations, etc.). Some people relish hunting for bargains; others loathe it. Either way, here are a few money-saving tips:■ Clip newspaper and online coupons.

Stores often match competitors’ prices even if their own items aren’t on sale. Plus, many consolidation websites post downloadable coupons and sale codes for online retailers.■ Mobile shopping apps let in-store Smart-phone and tablet users scan product bar-codes and make on-the-spot price com-parisons, read reviews, download cou-pons, buy products and more.■ If you’re traveling for the holidays, note that many airlines charge $25 or more for each checked bag. Many stores and web-sites ship gifts for free, saving you hassle at the airport.■ Carefully read purchase-return policies for deadlines, exclusions (e.g., for sale or clearance items) and restocking charges.■ Keep receipts. Many retailers will refund the price difference if an item goes on sale within a few weeks after purchase.■ Check whether your credit card agree-ment provides free product warranty ex-tensions and/or price protection. And finally, consider the gift of time. Older relatives don’t need more chocolates, but they probably could use help with chores, running errands or rides to doctor appointments. Plus, they would probably appreciate your company. Offer to babysit for harried parents so they can run a few errands or simply recharge their batteries.

Jason Alderman directs Visa’s financial edu-cation programs.

Some media reports have suggested that all online sellers must now collect California sales tax but that’s a gross overstatement that creates need-less confusion for both taxpayers and consumers, according to the state Board of Equalization. BOE member George Runner said California’s new online sales tax law (AB 155), which became effective last September, requires out-of-state sellers to collect tax if they make more than $1 million in annual sales to California consumers and at least $10,000 of those sales come through referrals from California-based affiliates. “Even under this new law most major out-of-state online retailers, like L.L. Bean and Overstock.com, are not required to collect sales tax as long as they don’t have a presence in California,” he said. Earlier this year the Board of Equalization mailed letters to more than 200 out-of-state retail-ers notifying them of the new law. To date, only a handful have responded by beginning to collect sales tax, Runner said. When out-of-state retailers do not collect tax, California consumers are still required to report and pay the equivalent of sales tax, known as “use tax,” Runner added. Consumers can pay directly to the BOE using eReg or pay on their California income tax returns with the option of using BOE’s Use Tax Lookup Table.

Business News Edited by Jeb Bing, [email protected]

Jason Alderman


OpinionEDITORIAL THE OPINION OF THE WEEKLY

Visit Town Square at PleasantonWeekly.com to comment on the editorial.

It’s December and the Pleasanton Weekly’s 2012 Holiday Fund campaign is now under way, a time when the public is asked to turn its thoughts to supporting local nonprofit agencies and services that care for those in need year round. This year, the Holiday Fund is a donor advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organi-zation. A contribution to this fund allows donations to be tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Although there will be no matching funds as we have had at times before through the now-closed Tri-Valley Community Foundation, SVCF and the Pleasanton Weekly will handle all costs of the campaign. That means that every dollar will go directly to the 10 nonprofits we’ve chosen as this year’s beneficiaries, with all administrative expenses being handled by the SVCF and the Pleasanton Weekly. The Holiday Fund’s goal in this 10th annual campaign is again $100,000, with contributions to be disbursed in two tiers. A total of 75% of all dollars raised will go in equal amounts to Axis Community Health, Open Heart Kitchen, Pleasanton Partner-ships in Education (PPIE) Foundation, Valley Humane Society and ValleyCare Health System. Another 25% of the contribu-tions will go to Hope Hospice, Pleasanton Cultural Arts Coun-cil, REACH, Sandra J. Wing Healing Therapies Foundation and Senior Support Program of the Tri-Valley. It’s our most ambitious campaign ever. Despite a modest eco-nomic recovery in the Tri-Valley, these are still-troubling times with unemployment in Alameda County, alone, at more than 8%. Further, the agencies we have targeted for assistance have found that they now have many more to serve and often fewer dollars from their regular donors who have found themselves at times facing financial, employment and health care challenges and uncertainties. Last year, when the state of the economy was perhaps even more dire, Pleasanton Weekly readers rallied to the call and contributed $104,000 in direct donations to the Holiday Fund. When the campaign ended, and with more organizations seeking financial assistance, the Weekly provided four more recipients with a share of the donations. This year, we’ve identified 10 organizations that are counting on your contributions to the Holiday Fund. We know what the needs are locally because of our expertise in covering these nonprofits in the Weekly’s news columns and through the community foundation’s programs to help serve their financial needs. We can put money to work very quickly whereas it might take quite a long time for these organizations to partner up with donors themselves. Reports about two of the organizations that will benefit from Holiday Fund donations this year, Hope Hospice and Senior Support Program of the Tri-Valley, are in this edition with more stories to follow as the campaign continues. About the only difference in this year’s campaign from earlier ones is that as the Holiday Fund is a donor advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation, contributions should be directed to:Pleasanton Weekly Holiday Fundc/o Silicon Valley Community Foundation2440 West El Camino Real, Suite 300Mountain View, California 94040 Checks should be made payable to Silicon Valley Community Foundation. There is also an opportunity to donate through Pay Pal online at www.siliconvalleycf.org/pleasantonweeklyholidayfund. All donations will be acknowledged shortly after being re-ceived.

Help those in need through the Holiday Fund

PleasantonWeekly

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EDITORIAL

EditorJeb Bing, Ext. 118

Managing EditorDolores Fox Ciardelli, Ext. 111

Online/Community EditorJessica Lipsky, Ext. 229

ReporterGlenn Wohltmann, Ext. 121

ContributorsJay FlachsbarthJerri Pantages LongKerry Nally

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POLICE REPORT

The Pleasanton Police Department made the following information available.

Nov. 20Shoplifting

■ 2:37 p.m. in the 4500 block of Rosewood Drive

■ 5:29 p.m. in the 1500 block of Stoneridge Mall Road

Burglary

■ 9:43 a.m. in the 7500 block of Driftwood Way

Auto burglary

■ 12:26 p.m. in the 7600 block of Canyon Meadows Circle

Drug/alcohol violations

■ 12:03 a.m. in the 7700 block of Canyon Meadows Circle; possession of methamphetamine, paraphernalia possession, possession of more than an ounce of marijuana

■ 12:18 a.m. in the 5500 block of W. Las Positas Boulevard; DUI

Nov. 21Shoplifting


Burglary

■ 6:24 p.m. in the 1100 block of Hopkins Way

Public drunkenness

■ 9:51 p.m. in the 5500 block of W. Las Positas Boulevard

Nov. 22Theft

■ 1:59 p.m. in the 1300 block of Hopyard Road; bicycle theft

Threats

■ 9:07 p.m. in the 6000 block of Corte Encinas

Vandalism


Alcohol violations

■ 12:13 a.m. in the 1800 block of Santa Rita Road; public drunkenness

■ 1:33 a.m. in the 4300 block of Valley Avenue; public drunkenness

■ 2:00 a.m. at the intersection of Mohr Avenue and Greenwood Road; DUI

■ 9:26 p.m. in the 4200 block of First Street; public drunkenness

Nov. 23Theft

■ 3:22 a.m. in the 2100 block of Stoneridge Mall Road; shoplifting

■ 6:31 a.m. in the first block of Stoneridge Mall Road; fraud

■ 2:38 p.m. in the 2300 block of Stoneridge Mall Road; shoplifting

■ 4:40 p.m. in the 4900 block of Canary Drive; theft from structure

Nov. 24Theft

■ 8:24 a.m. in the 5200 block of Ridgevale Avenue; auto theft


■ 2:23 p.m. in the 6200 block of Stoneridge Mall Road; theft from structure


Auto burglary

■ 11:29 a.m. in the 3100 block of Paseo Robles

■ 12:28 p.m. in the 1200 block of Quarry Lane

■ 3:52 p.m. in the 5500 block of Paseo Navarro

Vandalism

■ 1:42 p.m. in the 1200 block of Quarry Lane

■ 7:19 p.m. in the 700 block of Main Street


■ 12:04 a.m. in the 300 block of St. Mary Street; public drunkenness

■ 12:12 a.m. in the 2300 block of Crestline Road; DUI

■ 1:25 a.m. in the 3100 block of Santa Rita Road; DUI

■ 10:22 p.m. in the 900 block of Main Street; possession of a controlled substance, paraphernalia possession, possession of a switchblade knife

Nov. 25Theft


■ 11:39 p.m. in the 3200 block of Vineyard Avenue; theft from structure

Auto burglary

■ 10:19 a.m. in the 2700 block of Laramie Gate Circle

DUI

■ 2:47 a.m. in the 5300 block of Case Avenue

Nov. 26Theft

■ 9:51 a.m. in the 400 block of Main Street; theft from structure

■ 11:20 a.m. in the 4200 block of Mirador Drive


Burglary

■ 9:05 a.m. in the 6800 block of Koll Center Parkway

■ 10:33 a.m. in the 1100 block of Santa Rita Road

Auto burglary


Vandalism

■ 3:02 p.m. in the 6600 block of Owens Drive

Drug violation

■ 4:24 a.m. in the 3500 block of Yellowstone Court

Nov. 27Theft

■ 9:43 a.m. in the 4400 block of Comanche Way; auto theft

■ 10:39 a.m. in the 600 block of Del Sol Avenue

■ 11:11 a.m. in the 2800 block of Brezza Court; theft from structure

■ 3:56 p.m. in the4400 block of Rosewood Drive

Auto burglary

■ 10:53 a.m. in the 3100 block of W. Las Positas Boulevard

Vandalism

■ 5:12 a.m. in the 3100 block of Bernal Avenue

■ 9:23 a.m. on I-680 northbound


■ 11:29 a.m. in the 5500 block of W. Las Positas Boulevard; public drunk-enness

■ 4:22 p.m. at the intersection of Bernal Avenue and Vineyard Avenue; possession of marijuana

Shoplifters out for the holidays

At least eight incidents of shop-lifting were reported around the Thanksgiving holiday, including a pair of women who came back for a second round of thefts at the Stoneridge Shopping Center, ac-cording to police reports. Security recognized the two from a Nov. 23 grab and run at JC Penney in the 1500 block of Stoneridge Mall Road. The next day, the pair returned to the store, where one woman took purses off a shelf and brought them to customer service where she used a false drivers license to return

them and received a gift card. The other woman returned a purse that had been stolen in the grab-and-run the day before and also received a gift card. The two left the store by separate exits, but met up inside the mall, where they were caught by mall secu-rity. Britney Antonia Hardy, 20 of Fairfield was arrested for having false identification, identity theft and burglary. Charrelle Toddneish Reed, 22 of Richmond, was ar-rested for burglary. The two were arrested at about 9:14 p.m.

In other police reports:

midnight of Thanksgiving also brought out some shoplifters with one reported at about 3:22 a.m., as well as a woman passing coun-terfeit bills. Tiffany Nicole Turner, 29 of San Francisco was arrested at 8 a.m. after a 6:31 a.m. inci-dent at Hickory Farms in the first block of Stoneridge Mall Road. Turner was arrested for burglary and forgery with five bogus $100 bills. Another fake bill was recov-ered at Forever 21.

-ing to be profitable for thieves stealing items delivered to homes and left outside, with at least two victims in recent days. Two victims were located after cardboard boxes were found in a church parking lot at about 9 a.m. Nov. 25. An employee brought them home to recycle,

discovered they had two different addresses on the boxes, and con-tacted police. An officer went to the 4200 block of Mirador Drive, where the homeowner confirmed he hadn’t received an Amazon.com order for about $65 that had been de-livered at 1 p.m. Nov. 24. On Del Sol, a woman told po-lice she also hadn’t received an order for four packages, delivered at 2:53 p.m. Nov. 24 with 23 miscellaneous Christmas presents worth $583.

-ued at $20,000 was stolen in a Nov. 21 burglary at a home in the 1100 block of Hopkins Way, along with a $400 soda fountain. The break-in occurred between 8:30 a.m. and 5:15 p.m., with entry through an unlocked door.

of Clorox valued at $4,000 were stolen in a burglary at Acosta Sales and Marketing in the 6800 block of Koll Center Parkway. Also taken were 50 cases of soap worth $2,250, 47 pack of soda worth $400, two barbecue grills worth $200 apiece, and a $300 microwave. The break-in oc-curred between 3 p.m. Nov. 21 and 7:45 a.m. Nov. 26. A door lock was bypassed for entry.

microwave valued at $6,500 were stolen from a vehicle parked at Kitchen Experts in the 7000 block of Commerce Circle between 5 and 5:40 p.m. Nov. 25. A window was smashed to gain access. Under the law, those arrested are considered innocent until convicted.

POLICE BULLETIN

OBITUARIESPAID OBITUARIES

Kristina Marie Schuett-Stephen Thomas Ricci

Kristina Marie Schuett and Stephen Thomas Ricci have an-nounced their engagement and are planning a March 23 wedding at the Croatian American Cultural Center in Sacramento. Kristina is the daughter of Kath-leen and Dale Schuett of Pleasanton and is a 2005 graduate of Amador Valley High School. She graduated from California State University-Sacramento in 2009 and works in resource development for a local nonprofit in Sacramento. Stephen is the son of Nina Ricci and the late Lino Ricci of Chico and is a 2001 graduate of Dur-ham High School in Chico. He graduated from California State

University-Chico in 2006 and works in retail management in Sacramento. The couple will live in Sacra-mento.

ENGAGEMENTS

Robert Daniel Stoik

July 30, 1959-Nov. 26,

2012 Robert Daniel Stoik, 53, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family fol-lowing an 11 year battle with cancer. Bob was born and raised in Bloomer, Wis. and grad-uated from Bloomer High School. He earned a secondary edu-cation degree from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. His careers with Milton Bradley/Hasbro and Nintendo promoted his kid at heart attitude. He coached his daughters’

various sports teams and loved bicy-cling and running. Bob is survived by his loving wife Catherine; devoted children Courtney, (Cal State Univ.-Chico) and Hannah, (Amador Valley High School). Bob is also survived by his mother, Audrey Stoik (Wis.); mother and father-in-law, Rose and Lee Cowan (Ill.); four sisters, four brothers and numerous nieces and nephews. Preceding him in death are father, Frank Stoik and nephew, Cale Stoik. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Friends and family are invited to a memorial service on Saturday, De-cember 1, 2012 at 3:30 pm at Valley Community Church on 4455 Del Valle Parkway, Pleasanton, Calif. In lieu of flowers memorials can be sent to the American Cancer Society or Hope Hospice.

POLICE BULLETIN & LOG ● OBITUARIES ● BIRTHS & WEDDINGS

Community Pulse ● Transitions


For more events, go to

www.PleasantonWeekly.com

Auditions‘FOREVER PLAID’ - TRI-VALLEY REPERTORY THEATRE Tri-Valley Repertory Theatre is hosting auditions for “Forever Plaid” at 3 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 1, at 1020 Serpentine Lane, Suite 101, Pleasanton. Shows will be pre-sented at the Village Theater, 233 Front St., Danville, March 22-30. Prepare 32 bars up tempo ‘50s pop (accompanist provided, no tapes or a cappella); all roles open, no pay, no AEA. Call-backs by invitation. To sign up for an audition, email [email protected]. For questions, call 899-3451.

SUNOL REPERTOY THEATRE AUDITIONS Auditions for the 2013 Season “Murder in the House of Horrors,” a who-done-it murder mystery, are at 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 6, at Sunol Glen School Auditorium, 11601 Main St., Sunol. The theater is in its 31st year, but this is the first time for a current day mystery. Email Sandi Bohner at [email protected] for details.

EventsGNON IS HAVING A HOLIDAY PARTY! New unwrapped toys will be collected for the Toys for Tots program. The event is from 5-8 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 6 at Girasole Grill Restaurant, 3180 Santa Rita Rd. Cost $10 for members and $15 for nonmembers. RSVP: To [email protected] by Dec. 4. Visit www.gnontrivalley.com.

Lectures ‘TEL AVIV, THEN AND NOW’ The East Bay Community Trip to Israel presents “Tel Aviv, Then and Now” at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 5, at Congregation Beth Emek, 3400 Nevada St. Ken Cohen takes us on a journey from the cityís birth at the turn of the 20th century to its emergence as the business and cul-tural capital of Israel. Cost is $10; trip registrants are free. Visit www.jfed.org$srael2013.

HANDLING THE HOLIDAYS Hope Hospice invites those who’ve recently experienced the death of a loved one to this free workshop to explore practical ideas for han-dling the holidays while grieving. The workshop will be offered four times: at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Nov. 13 and Dec. 4, at 6377 Clark Avenue, Suite 100, Dublin. Call 829-8770 to register. For more information, visit www.hopehos-pice.com/home.html.

Live MusicLIVERMORE-AMADOR SYMPHONY ‘CELEBRATING 50 SEASONS’ Dr. Arthur Barnes and the Livermore-Amador Symphony opens its Golden Season - the 50th - with music from Darter and Brahms that powerfully celebrates the orchestra’s half-century of musi-cal achievement. The music begins at 8 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 1, at Bankhead Theater, 2400 First St., Livermore. Tickets are $10-$29.

Call 373-6800 or visit www.mylv-pac.com.

MiscellaneousFREE TOUR: WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND WATER RECYCLING PLANT Learn how 10 million gallons of Tri-Valley wastewater is treated every day - either purified and recycled to irrigate green spaces or safely cleaned and pumped into the San Francisco Bay. The tour is from 3-4:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 9, at DSRSD Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility, 7399 Johnson Dr. Free and open to the public (adults, teens, children 7 and older). Call 875-2282. Reservations required: Complete form on web-site www.dsrsd.com/Education/tourrequest.html.

On StageCREATURES OF IMPULSE TEEN IMPROV TROUPE Creatures of Impulse is presenting its fourth season of “Holiday Shorts: A Long Winter’s Tale” in three performanc-es, all at 7:30 p.m.: Tuesday, Nov. 27 (free preview show); Thursday, Nov. 29; and Friday, Nov. 30, at the Firehouse Arts Center, 4444 Railroad Ave. Tickets are $5-$15; call 931-4848, visit www.firehouse-arts.org, or go to the box office.

VolunteeringAMERICAN RED CROSS VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION The American Red Cross Northern California Blood

Services Region will hold a vol-unteer orientation at 5 p.m., Friday, Dec. 7, at the Pleasanton Blood Donation Center, 5556-B Springdale Ave. Learn about ways to greet, inform and thank our community’s blood donors. Advance sign-up required. Contact Tami at 408-577-2006.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED The American Cancer Society Discovery Shop, 1987 Santa Rita Road, Pleasanton, needs volunteers on weekends and Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. It is an interesting and fun environ-ment, and a great cause. We are all touched by cancer and you can make a difference. Call Monda Wiseman, Mgr. at 462-7374 or email [email protected].

ON THE TOWN ● CALENDAR

ON THE TOWN

AMERICAN

Eddie Papa’s American Hangout4889 Hopyard Road, Pleasanton, 469-6266. Winner of The Pleasanton Weekly’s Reader Choice Awards for “Best American Food,” “Best Meal under $20” and “Best Kid Friendly Restaurant,” Eddie Papa’s American Hangout celebrates the regional food and beverage cul-tures of America. Bring the whole family to enjoy iconic dishes from across the United States, Old World Hospitality, and hand crafted artisan cocktails. www.eddiepapas.com.

We Proudly Support our Tri-Valley Heros!

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Dog defends stadium: Gerry and David Gire packed their Weekly when the traveled to Iowa in June to watch their son Rob (Foothill class of 2006; University of Arizona class of 2011) participate in shot put at the NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships.

TAKE US ALONG


Your Hero of the Tri-Valley

by Jessica Lipsky

While doing a “green” remodel of her kitchen, Cynthia Ruzzi fielded many questions from curious neighbors eager to learn what made the job sustain-able. Finding that people generally want to learn from friends, despite a plethora of sustainability-focused publications, Ruzzi co-founded Sustainable Danville Area as a local resource to connect and share informa-tion about sustainable practices

Inspired by Sustainable Lafayette, Ruzzi and co-founders Darlene Gayler and Tracy Bauer first kicked off Sustainable Danville on Earth Day in 2010 and held an opening meeting to hear resident concerns. More than 40 people came to the gathering, which is now a monthly topical event dedicated to discussion, networking and learning about alternative practices for home and business. Topics run the gamut from dwindling water resources to organic wines, and occa-sionally include a field trip to get hands-on experience picking organic produce for canning.

Shortly thereafter, SDA launched its Green Your Schools program as an opportunity for high school students, teachers, parents and administrators to connect and brainstorm sustainable campus programs. In addition to hosting discussions on waste reduction and recycling, SDA spearheaded a school supply drive that gathered 675 pounds of gently used materials for schools in east Contra Costa County. Trash collected at San Ramon Valley High during the drive was reduced by half, Ruzzi added.

Sustainable Danville hopes to work with San Ramon Valley Unified School District to create a composting program to help power East Bay Municipal Utility Dis-trict facilities through methane trapping.

The group also partnered with The Urban Farmers to collect unwanted backyard fruit for donation to local food pantries and has collected over 2,000 pounds of fruit since August. SDA collects food at the Danville farmers market at 822 Hartz Way.

“What we find is people start to adopt one measure and they kind of decide, ‘Wow this is taking care of our neighborhood, our community,’ then they start to adopt

more and more measures,” Ruzzi said. “I think what we teach is we can be sustainable without sacrifice.”

After working to certify the Town of Danville with the Bay Area Green Business Program, Ruzzi decided to encourage local businesses to become certified as green. Certified businesses must adopt 25 sustainable practices to be certified in what Ruzzi called a very stringent program.

“I felt that many of our businesses weren’t being recognized for what they were doing right and perhaps they needed a stepping stone to get to that Bay Area Green Business Program,” Ruzzi said.

Over 40 local businesses — from Heritage Bank of Com-merce to Cottage Jewel in downtown Danville — have been certified since 2011 and, to Ruzzi’s surprise, many had already gone green. The average participating busi-ness uses around 50 reduce, reuse or recycle measures.

In addition to working with an Eagle Scout to build portable bike racks for use at San Ramon Valley High and town events, Sustainable Danville was instrumental in instituting a bicycle parking study. As a result of the study, the town installed 39 new racks — a change SDA members can really see.

“I’m very proud of work we’ve done among different organizations. Our programs might be working with schools and with the town and the Chamber and it would be impossible for a county organization to re-ally bring that kind of depth to community activities,” Ruzzi said. “It’s really important to support individual communities as they enact local ordinances and prac-tices and enforce those practices.”

Although Sustainable Danville focuses specifically on its namesake town, Ruzzi said SDA is happy to be a resource or mentor for individuals looking to create similar communities throughout the Tri-Valley.

“When you really get down to it, the reason we do this is because we really love Danville and our community and we want to make sure we preserve what we have for future generations,” Ruzzi said. “The biggest way we can give back to the rest of the Tri-Valley area is to share our story, share our resources, meet and talk.”

SUSTAINABLE DANVILLE AREA

▲ Sustainable Danville Area supported a local clean water program at various events, including a screening of “Blue Gold” at San Ramon Valley High to educate residents on conservation of the limited resource. The group also hosted hydrologist Leslie Dumas, of RMC Water & Environment, who spoke about local water resources and future vulnerabilities.

▲ SDA supports the Bounty Garden, a nonprofit community garden that operates out of Hap Magee Ranch Park in Alamo. The Bounty Garden will kick off its winter season in January and donate food from its nine garden beds to food banks.

▲ The average American uses be-tween 330 and 500 plastic bags a year for an average of 12 minutes before throwing them out. Bring a reusable bag to the store and cut down on the approximately 150 billion bags used each year in the U.S.

▲ Food consumed in the U.S. typi-cally travels 1,500-2,500 miles to reach our plates and accounts for about 20% of all fossil fuel con-sumption. Eat locally sourced food and reduce carbon emissions while supporting the local economy.

▲ Hero FYI

Environmental Stewardship

A collage of Sustainable Danville Area activities is posted on its Facebook page. COURTESY CYNTHIA RUZZI

Darlene Gayler (left) and Cynthia Ruzzi are co-founders of Sustainable Dan-ville Area.

Hero

es

Spon

sors


The language of cancer is grim: chemotherapy, radiation, lumpectomy, mastectomy, bone marrow transplant. But cancer survivor Sandra J. Wing, 53, has introduced a different vocabulary for cancer patients in the Tri-Valley: acupuncture, acupressure, meditation, guided imag-ery, therapeutic massage. She found these therapies extremely helpful as she underwent a hysterectomy then chemotherapy after she was diagnosed at age 47 with uterine and ovarian cancer. “Fortunately I had a friend who was also an oncology nurse and she was the first person I reached out to,” Wing said. “I didn’t know what to do or where to go.” Her friend told her she should try healing therapies to reduce anxiety and stay posi-tive, and Gracie Santos, her partner of 18 years, insisted on it. “Gracie was determined to keep my mind positive,” Wing recalled. “I have to credit her with having the strength and passion to keep me focused on forward move-ment.” Chemotherapy left Sandra unable to perform the simplest of tasks, she recalled, with her body feeling battered, beaten and achy. She started with acupressure, guided imagery and deep breathing, which distracted her from the anxiety she was feeling. She found that even at her sickest and weakest she was receptive to these healing therapies. At one point she almost had to suspend her chemotherapy when the tips of her fingers and toes were impacted by neuropathy. But acupuncture sessions reduced the symptoms and she was able to complete the chemo treatments. Wing received her acupressure massage and guided meditation at UCSF’s Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, feeling fortunate that she could pay for them because complementary treatments are not covered by insurance. “Medical bills are one of many worries for cancer patients,” she noted. And so she began to form the idea of a foundation to help other patients pay for the healing therapies. “I had my last chemotherapy treatment in April 2007, and in August 2008 I started working on the foundation,” she said. “I got the initial board members in place by January 2009 and applied for being a corporation. We started issuing money in July 2009.” The website, www.healingtherapiesfoundation.org, has a simple application form, which needs to be signed by a patient’s oncologist. Grants are typically $500, and re-cipients can reapply. “The first year we gave out 12, the second year it was 24,” Wing recalled. “The word was getting out, by word-of-mouth referrals and doctors.” This year the foundation is on track to give out 100. “There’s a big shift in recent years, in our local area,” Wing said, “with oncology folks seeing the benefits of complementary therapies. We do want patients to focus on their cancer treatments, and we focus on the mind, body and spirit.” Oncologist Ricardo Da Roza talks in a video on the website about how important this holistic approach is in caring for his patients. “There’s science, there’s medicine, and there’s a sense of well-being that’s so essen-tial to the healing process in the recovery of patients,” he says. Other patients note that healing therapies also give them something to look forward to, a bright spot in their week. The Sandra J. Wing Healing Therapies Foundation is run 100% by volunteers. They put together a string of fundraisers that run throughout the fall under the name Party Palooza, then host the annual Ragin’ Cajun at Mardi Gras time. This year it takes place March 8 at the Palm Event Center. “Gracie is the passionate uber volunteer,” Wing said. “She is the flag bearer and spokeswomen and not only encourages me but also all the volunteers. She’s going to be volunteer chair in January.” Wing, who works fulltime as a project manager for Xerox, said her favorite part of Ragin’ Cajun is hearing testimonials from patients. “It’s one of the rare moments that I get to interact with the patients and the volun-teers, as well,” she said. She receives calls from around the United States asking if she knows of such an organization in their areas but says she knows of no others besides hers. “As a board it’s our desire is to grow,” she said, “to Walnut Creek, Castro Valley, Fremont. We like to say we’re in the Bay Area, then California then nationwide.” “I started this thinking if could just help one person,” Wing said. Now she is gratified “to see it grow and see the need out there, and to know I’m making a difference.”

SANDRA J. WING

▲ Sandra J. Wing has lived and worked in Pleasanton for over 25 years in execu-tive leadership positions and as an entrepreneur.

▲ She has a BS and MBA in business management.

▲ For 10 years, she taught

undergraduate and gradu-ate business students at the University of Phoenix.

▲ She is a U.S. Army vet-

eran. She received an Army Commendation medal and an Expert Marksman medal.

▲ She is on the Pleasan-ton Chamber of Commerce Foundation Board of Direc-tors.

▲ She and her pooch Dori have done dog therapy at the VA center in Livermore and Villa San Ramon.

▲ She’s from Milwaukee but after visiting California she hopped in her car, put what-ever fit into the back seat, and moved out here.

▲ She became a football fan when she fell in love with Joe Montana and the 49ers.

▲ She stops drinking caf-feine a month before Ragin’ Cajun because the fundrais-er is such a high for her.

▲ She and Gracie are movie buffs; as of Nov. 26 they had already seen “Argo,” “Lin-coln,” “Skyfall” and “Life of Pi.”

▲ On Nov. 16 she passed her sixth anniversary of being cancer-free. On her fifth anniversary, she went to Universal Studios to go on the Harry Potter ride and “be a child again.”

▲ Hero FYI

Courage

by Dolores Fox Ciardelli

Your Hero of the Tri-ValleyHeroes SponsorsGary & Nancy Harrington

Sponsor, Arts & Culture award

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO


Frances Dowdy, 88, was independent when she moved to Vineyard Villa 15 years ago. She has had trouble accepting the decline in her eyesight and mo-bility but is enthusiastic about the help she gets from Senior Support Program of the Tri-Valley. “They’re a lifesaver,” she exclaimed. “One lady in particular, she was like a lawyer, she did all of my paperwork with a traumatic case with mail fraud. She was so giving.” “Therapy, exercise — they come to your house,” she continued. Dowdy has made a 26-year-old volunteer her hon-orary grandson for the work he does in her yard and taking her shopping. “He has a good job and he wanted to give back,” she said. Senior Support helps the aging population in a multitude of ways, including dealing with problems of nutrition, exercise, drug and alcohol addictions, loneliness, isolation, loss of a loved one. Its primary mission, said Executive Director Marlene Peterson, is to help older people stay in their homes. “We want to keep people living in their homes as long as possible, safely, independently,” she said. “When they are really shut-ins, we like to get them back into the community.” Counselors go into homes to talk to clients, often after firefighters or police alert Senior Support that someone might be in need. Sometimes solutions are simple once a problem is recognized. “If you see someone shuffling it could be their toe-nails,” Peterson said as an example. But often they are afraid to ask for help or admit anything is wrong because family members might think they can no longer live alone safely. “Everything threatens them,” Peterson said. Women whose role has always been to take care of others and their home may not be so good about car-ing for themselves, she pointed out. The low-income population receives help from MediCal, Peterson noted; Senior Support Program works with the near-poor. “Some have lost their investments,” she said. She told of a man who’d lost his job and was living with his elderly dad in Tracy. He talked to something at the Senior Support booth at a 1st Wednesday Street Fair, and the organization began to help them. “Their lives have changed,” Peterson said. “They told us everyone said Pleasanton people were snobs, but he said, ‘I see a community of loving, caring people.’” “I’ve been in this business a long time — what keeps you going is people who care,” Peterson added.

30 years for Senior Support Program

Senior Support Program of the Tri-Valley celebrated its 30th anniversary in September. It began in 1981 with a Friendly Visitor volunteer program serving 35 seniors, working out of the Axis facility on Railroad Avenue, and now has 19 employees and more than 100 volunteers. They serve about 1,600 clients per month plus make approximately 5,000 information and referral calls and visits a year. Senior Support is located at the Pleasanton Senior Center on Sunol Boulevard with its own entrance to-ward the front of the building, where it moved when an adult day care closed in 2000. “Partnering with the Pleasanton Senior Center is a marriage made in heaven,” Peterson said. “We are able to help people right away. If they need to get out, we just walk them over there.”

“Part of problem is that people don’t know how to access help,” she added. Jack Dove, 88, who is retired from the paint and chemical industry, discovered Senior Support when he moved from Alamo to Vineyard Villa in Pleasanton 25 years ago and realized some of his neighbors needed help. Now he lives at Ridge View Commons, a senior complex on Case Avenue that backs up to the Senior Center with an attractive walkway in between. Dove continues to serve as a liaison. “My neighbor is probably around 85, and is in a doctor’s care with a problem, and needed a heart pro-cedure,” Dove said to cite an example. “They have to give her tests in order to do the procedure, and they had to do the tests in Redwood City.” He contacted Senior Support, which arranged trans-portation with a volunteer driver. “So many people in the Valley here have trouble getting to the doctor in Walnut Creek, in Antioch, at Stanford,” Peterson said. “It’s an impossible journey by municipal transportation.”

Funding always a challenge

Funding has been a problem from the beginning, Peterson said, with agencies preferring to fund pro-grams that serve younger clients with a future. Also money has been directed to other parts of Alameda County due to Pleasanton’s reputation for affluence. But Senior Support has gained a reputation over the years, and recent grant applications have been successful. Dove recalled standing on his balcony at Ridge View Commons looking over at the Pleasanton Senior Center with Quincy Campbell, past chairman of the Alameda County Area Agency on Aging.

“He said, ‘Over there we get more value for our buck than anywhere in the county,’” Dove remembered. “People are amazed at what we do with so little money,” Peterson agreed, adding, “We couldn’t do it without the community.” The program received $50,000 from Measure A

funds, Peterson said, whiseling program. A recenAlameda County Behaviolowing Senior Support todrug programs. “Twenty years ago we fi

COVER

SUPPORTING INDEPENDENCE

DOLORES FOX CIARDELLI

Luz Seldana (above) and Carol Bush (right) are case man-agers at Senior Support Program of the Tri-Valley, part of a team whose primary mission is to help older people stay in their homes. Right, a bulletin board at Senior Support Services explains how its programs are all pieces of a puzzle. Top right, Executive Director Marlene Peterson talks over issues with community activist Jack Dove.


ich goes toward its coun-nt $250,000 grant from oral Health Services is al-o expand its alcohol and

irst recognized a problem,

and our program has been really successful,” Peterson said. “We’ve made it fun and educational.” “We don’t try to teach abstinence,” she explained. “One elderly man said to me, ‘Honey, when you’re my age, you can tell me what to do.’” The revised Behavioral Health Program, which

started in June, focuses on mind and body fitness, and talks about alcohol, drugs and their abuse. “It’s a five-week series,” said manager Lindsey Pass-more. “First we meet and introduce the team and talk about what Senior Support does for the community and how to use us as a resource. We bring in goodies, it’s very easygoing.” They move on to a half hour of exercise, seated or standing, and a 20- to 30-minute discussion of nutrition; a dietician teaches them how to read a nutrition label. “There was a need, that’s why this has been devel-oped,” Passmore said. “People were reporting more and more alcohol abuse and reporting depression.” She limits the classes to 10 to keep them intimate. “I talk about how to make things healthier in our everyday diet, a generic overview,” Passmore said. “I go into a discussion of alcohol and medication misuse, making it very casual and non-judgmental.” “Hydration is huge with seniors,” she continued. “I recently learned that sensitivity to thirst decreases as we age. They might ask, ‘Why am I getting a head-ache?’ Or have dizziness or fatigue or blurred vision. One of the ladies said she was super dehydrated, and she almost blacked out.” They offer tips such as drinking 8 ounces of water with every meal plus another glass in between meals. They also share simple, healthy cost-effective recipes.

Health program a success

“One lady told me she took one of our recipes and cooked it for herself for her birthday and her best friend came over,” Passmore said. “She said, ‘I can’t thank you enough.’” They are grateful that someone is paying attention, she said. “We do care,” she said. “We want to provide them with whatever they need.” The Caregiver Support Group gathers each month at Senior Support to share stories and ideas about de-pendent spouses, or sometimes parents. “Yesterday we had a tale of woe I couldn’t believe,” said facilitator Carol Bush recently. “A woman came in

with a friend. Her mother is living with her, she looks after her grandchildren two days a week, and her sis-ter is ill, living in another area.” After the group was finished, Bush met one-on-one with the woman. “Let your sister look after herself,” she advised, then made a date to go with her to look at respite opportu-nities for her mother later that week. “Generally they don’t know of any resources when they bring mom in to live with them,” Bush said. “They think they are trapped, they can’t get out of the house.” “Many are in the sandwich generation — still car-ing for young children, working and trying to deal the best they can with mom and dad,” she added. “I not only tell them about different resources but take them out and show them; hopefully I can refer them to ones that have an opening for them.” She said there are about 40 residential care homes in the Tri-Valley with 24-hour staff, and some, when they have an opening, will take people in for a short-term stay as a respite for their regular caregivers. The Caregiver Support Group, which Bush started about eight years ago, has some oldtimers who give practical advice and tips they’ve learned from their own experiences. “We call them ‘the varsity,’” Bush said. “When someone new comes in, they don’t know what to do — maybe their husband is not sleeping. And there is resentment. They feel, ‘He, or she, is ruining my life.’ We try to help them realize, you don’t have to do it alone. We try to come up with a variety of ideas and solutions.” When the spouse dies, the caregiver can join an-other group called Move on. “Move On started out being grief support but then we realized there were other grief support groups so it developed into activities where they might meet for lunch, to play bocce ball, or go to dinner and a movie, to be with people who have been through a similar experience,” Bush said. The Friendly Visitor Program, headed by Lorie Rohloff, has about 250 clients, Peterson said.

Volunteers always needed

Volunteers are always needed for the program, which matches volunteers with clients to help them with shopping and correspondence. Three times a year they have a luncheon to make sure the home-bound seniors are able to socialize. This program also makes phone calls to the house-bound. This is not a quick check, Peterson said; they have long, friendly chats and get to know each other. Senior Support also offers a registry to help people find in-home workers. Its coordinator visits clients at their homes to assess their needs, then supplies a list of possible workers after checking their references. The various help given to clients is coordinated by a case manager, and services include transportation, setting up Meals on Wheels, helping with medical ap-pointments and other in-home services and support. Detailed descriptions of all the programs can be found at the website www.ssptv.org. Or for more informa-tion, call 931-5379 or drop in at 5353 Sunol Blvd. All the pieces fit together like a puzzle, Peterson explained, with every part being complementary and part of the whole. “We’re a one-stop shop for seniors: transportation, exercise, fitness — and what we don’t have here, we will find them,” she said.

STORY

Pleasanton is a good place to grow old, thanks to Senior Support Program of the Tri-Valley BY DOLORES FOX CIARDELLI


HOLIDAY FUND

BY JEB BING Can someone experience a beau-tiful end of life? Hope Hospice believes so. With the help and support of the Hope Hospice care team, families and their loved ones can better under-stand what is meant by a beautiful end of life. While death is not a popular topic, the Hope Hospice team is trained to help people talk about it, prepare for it, and live the end-of-life experience in a meaningful way. A team of more than 160 staff and volunteers support hospice patients and families in the com-munity, according to Hope Hospice CEO Victoria Emmons, who ad-mits that the need for more services continues. “With our aging population, the need for qual-ity, community-based hospice care continues to grow,” Em-mons said. “This year, we served over 500 hos-pice patients and supported over 1,500 commu-nity members in our Grief Support Center. Our individual and group

grief support is open to everyone in the community, not just family mem-bers of our hospice patients.” Emmons said hospice care fo-cuses on quality of life until the final moments. “Our mission is to provide the highest quality, community-based care for patients and family mem-bers managing an end-of-life situa-tion,” she explained. While hospice is designed for people in their final days, gener-ally those with six months or less to live, Emmons said people in hos-pice programs often live longer than those pursuing curative treatment. “Hospice care is unique because it addresses the emotional and spir-itual needs in addition to the physi-cal needs of patients,” she said. “That means that patients often thrive. Family members receive emotional support and practical help, as well.” “Hope Hospice provides care re-gardless of insurance status or the ability to pay, so relies on contribu-tions such as those raised by the Pleasanton Weekly Holiday Fund,” Emmons said. “Donations received through the Holiday Fund help us support primarily our grief pro-grams, without which many fami-lies would struggle needlessly.” Hospice care is provided in a pa-

tient’s home so that the individual can live life as fully as possible, with dignity, and surrounded by loved ones. The patient and family receive support and education from a Hope Hospice team, including a physician, nurse, home health aide, social worker, chaplain and home-care volunteer. Working with the physician, the team develops a personal care plan that allows the patient to remain in control of his or her health care de-cisions. As death nears, advice and medical care is available 24 hours a day. Volunteers are key members of

the patient care team, including a videographer who interviews pa-tients to record their life stories. Other volunteers provide special support services such as hair styling, pet therapy, vigil support, and sing-ing with the Voices of Hope choir. Hope Hospice also supports fami-lies with funeral planning and, for up to 18 months after the patient’s death, bereavement support. The organization, one of the oldest in the country, provides opportunities throughout the year for people to remember their loved ones, includ-ing the annual Hike for Hope in May and Lights of the Valley: A Cel-

ebration of Light that will be held in Dublin this Sunday, Dec. 2. “Lights of the Valley offers people a time to remember and honor loved ones amidst an ambience of beautiful music,” Emmons said. “It promises to be a very special event.” On Tuesday, Dec 4, Hope Hos-pice is hosting workshops on han-dling the holidays for those griev-ing the loss of a loved one. For more information about Lights of the Valley, the grief workshop, Hike for Hope, hospice care or grief sup-port, call (925) 829-8770 or visit www.hopehospice.com.

Hope Hospice — guiding people through their final days

PLEASANTON STONERIDGE MALL

Call 925-398-6420 for more information.

As one of the nation’s oldest and most trusted jewelers, Bailey Banks & Biddle is the obvious choice when selling your old gold and sterling silver. We’ll pay you top dollar for your unwanted jewelry, flatware and hollowware. Plus, we’ll give you 50% more if you take store credit or use your check toward a Bailey Banks & Biddle purchase within 30 days. We’ll also buy back your old diamonds, with an attractive bonus when you exchange for store credit. So bring in your gold, silver and diamonds today!

YOU CAN SELL YOUR GOLD TO A STORE THAT POPPED UP A YEAR AGO. OR TWO CENTURIES AGO.

SELL YOUR GOLD AND SILVER TO BAILEY BANKS & BIDDLE.

HOPE HOSPICE

Hope Hospice makes sure patient’s pet (left) stays with him while under care. At right, Hospice nurse (left) gives comfort to another patient.

Victoria Emmons

Coming events, plus Holiday Fund support Tri-Valley agency


IndividualsAlan and Julia Casamajor .........$100Alice Desrosiers ........................$100Bert and Dee Brook ..................$200Bill and Carolyn Lincoln ..............$50Bill and Dottie Berck ................$200Bob and Julia Murtagh .............$250Bob and Kathy Russman ................ *Bruce and Cindy Yamamoto ........$50Dan and Jean Kallenberg ............$50Dave Cryer ...............................$100Deborah Sweeley ......................$500Dee Haag .................................$100Dick and Peggy Karn .................$100Drs. Steven and Harley Williams .....*Gary and Mary Lazarotti ...........$100Glenda Beratlis .........................$500Glenn and Janet Wenig .............$100Greg Landrum ..........................$500Herbert and Stella Chang .........$100Iqbal and Tasneem Omarali MD .....*Isabel Curry ..............................$100John H. Marshall ......................$100Julie and Miguel Castillo ...........$100Kathy and Jeff Narum ...............$100Kay and Charles Huff .................$15Lori and Mike Rice .........................*Marc and Becky Randall ...........$500Margaret Mathias .....................$500Mike and Ilene Forman .............$250Mike and Kris Harnett ..............$150Nancy Cowan .............................$10Pat and Ran Costello ......................*Paul and Lorraine Ebright .........$100Pauline Coe ................................$10Pearce Family ...........................$100Pentin Family in honor of Mike,

Matt & Diane........................$100Pete and Julie Mason ..................$50Richard and Gloria Fredette ........$50Rita Rollar................................$150Robert and Marianne Eisberg .....$50Rudy and Marge Johnson .........$100Sonal & Ajay Shah ..........................*Srikant and Christina Mantha .....$30Stuart and Cheryl Craig ............$250Thomas Rasmus .........................$20

Tim and Robin Neal .................$100Vincent and Sarah Ciccarello .$2,500Ms. Deborah MG Tomlin ............... *Howard G. and Emilie Seebach .$100Lonnie and Ronald Shaw ..........$100Mr. Alan Purves ........................$120Jan and Jeb Bing .......................$200Ms. Lilibeth Smith ....................$200Ms. Martha Mantei ....................$50

Businesses & OrganizationsBeratlis Automotive ..................$100DeBernardi Development

Construction and Remodeling ..$25Pleasanton Pet Sitting ...............$100Time 4 Order-Professional

Organizing ............................$100

In Memory ofBetty Patrick .............................$100Doris T. Walberg ......................$100Elizabeth Traille ........................$250Gam and Papa Abbott ...............$25Jacqueline Woodruff .................$250Janet Reichlin from Mike, Lori, and

Michael Reichlin ..................$100John A. Mavridis .......................$100Judy Perko ................................$100Karen and Tom Elsnab from

Hathi Winston and Jerry Prettyman ....................$100

Kathy Capitani .........................$100Mary L. Erickson ........................$50Mary May ................................$300Mike (Whitey) Whitener............$100Nicholas Daniel Lesser ................$50Our Mom Lora Bulatova .............$25Robert D. Williams ...................$100Roy, Eva, Archie and Adeline .....$100Tricia Martin - Love You Always &

Forever, Love, Mom ................$25Sharon Carroll from the staff at

Valley Humane Society ..........$100

In Honor ofOur “3 R’s” ................................$15Ernie Goble from Bob and Marilyn

Grimes .................................$100

At the launch of the 2012 Pleasanton Weekly Holiday Fund, 86 donors have

contributed $13,221 to the fund.

Holiday Fund donors

The Pleasanton Weekly Holiday Fund

The Pleasanton Weekly Holiday Fund was created to provide financial sup-

port from our readers for a select group of local nonprofit organizations to

help alleviate the needs that exist, despite our community’s prosperity. This

marks the ninth year of the Pleasanton Weekly Holiday Fund. It provides an

opportunity to aid local groups at a time when the numbers of those without

jobs or with low-paying jobs and few if any health benefits have increased.

We are pleased to announce that this year we will partner with Silicon

Valley Community Foundation, which will provide all the administrative

support for the campaign at no cost. As before, the Pleasanton Weekly will

donate marketing services, as well as advertising space. This means that all

money raised can support the people in our community.

We appreciate your support of the Pleasanton Weekly Holiday Fund and

these worthy nonprofits.

HOLIDAY FUND

The Holiday Fund is a donor advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation.

Please direct your donations to: Pleasanton Weekly Holiday Fund

c/o Silicon Valley Community Foundation 2440 West El Camino Real, Suite 300Mountain View, California 94040

Checks should be made payable to Silicon Valley Community Foundation.

How to give: Process has changed

Enclosed is a donation of:$__________________________

Name: __________________________________________________________________

Business Name: ___________________________________________________________

(Only required if business name is to be listed as donor in the paper)

Address: _________________________________________________________________

City/State/Zip: ___________________________________________________________

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Credit Card (MC, VISA, or AMEX): _________________________________________

Expires: / Signature: ______________________________________

I wish to designate my contribution as follows (select one):

In my name as shown above In the name of business above

-OR-

In honor of: In memory of: As a gift for:

_____________________________________________________________________

(Name of Person)

The Pleasanton Weekly Holiday Fund is a donor advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. A contribution to this fund allows your donation to be tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

All donors and their gift amounts will be published in the Pleasanton Weekly unless the boxes below are checked.

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Please withhold the amount of my contribution.

WeeklyPleasanton

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Pleasanton Weekly Holiday Fund

Donor Remittance Form

Make checks payable to Silicon Valley Community Foundation and send to:

Pleasanton Weekly Holiday Fund

c/o Silicon Valley Community Foundation

2440 West El Camino Real, Suite 300

Mountain View, California 94040

Credit card gifts may be made at:

www.siliconvalleycf.org/pleasantonweeklyholidayfund

Scheduled to receive 75% are:

■ Axis Community Health■ Open Heart Kitchen ■ Pleasanton Partnerships in Education (PPIE)

Foundation■ Valley Humane Society■ ValleyCare Health System■ Hope Hospice

Receiving the other 25% are:

■ Pleasanton Cultural Arts Council■ REACH (Resources Education Activities Com-

munity and Housing) for special adults of the Tri-Valley

■ Sandra J. Wing Healing Therapies Foundation■ Senior Support Program of the Tri-Valley

The following agencies will be supported by the Holiday Fund.


Special events add zest to the seasonFrom tree lighting to ‘Messiah’ to local productions, it’s great to be out and about

BY DOLORES FOX CIARDELLIThe best thing about the holidays is that its tradi-

tions are rich and varied, from visiting with family and friends, to decorating, to enjoying a pumpkin latte, to gift-giving, to special events of the season.

Pleasanton’s Hometown Holiday Celebration kicks off the season tomorrow with its parade and tree-lighting. The parade down Main Street, led by the Amador Valley High Marching Band, begins at 5 p.m. Also this weekend are “Holiday Songs of Joy” by the Valley Concert Chorale and the Cantabella Children’s Chorus, and a Holiday Teddy Bear Tea.

The Valley Concert Chorale once again will host its annual “Sing-it-Yourself Messiah” where the community is invited to sing Handel’s choral mas-terpiece, beginning at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 14, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1225 Hopyard Road, Pleasanton.

This Tri-Valley holiday tradition is open to all singers in the community who will join in singing Part I of Handel’s great choral masterpiece, also known as the Christmas portion of “Messiah” It will conclude with a powerful rendition of the “Hallelu-jah Chorus.”

“This is our seventh year of hosting the event for

the community,” said Valley Concert Chorale President Dave Brunswick. “Each year the number of singers increases with well over 100 singers from around the Tri-Valley and beyond. “It’s great being able to offer this musical experience to the area, complete with professional soloists and accompaniment by our internationally known concert pianist Daniel Glover.” Singers are encouraged to bring their own copy of “Messiah,” though extra copies will be available to borrow. The event is also open to those who just wish to listen to the performance. Tickets are $10; call 866-4003 or visit www.valleyconcertchorale.org. Pleasanton’s own Civic Arts Stage Company is pre-senting its popular annual Holiday Panto for two weekends, Dec. 7-16, at the Amador Theater, 1155 Santa Rita Road. This year’s fractured fairy-tale musi-cal-comedy production is “Puss in Boots.” Based on the beloved French fairytale by Charles Per-rault, the musical by local playwright Kate Hawley fea-tures a sassy cat who promises to solve the problems of a poor miller’s son. Dressed in her trademark red leather boots, Puss charms the Queen, befuddles the Prime Minister, defeats the powerful wizard Kazaam, and helps her shy master and Princess Sweetiepie fall

Great Gardens Begin Here!

925-462-1760 2011

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Sean McGregory plays Theophilus and Riley Greenough is Princess Sweetiepie is the Pleasanton Civic Arts Stage Company’s “Puss in Boots” panto.

madly in love. “I am so excited to see an-other fun classic brought to life at the Amador Theater this season,” says Mark Duncan-son, Civic Arts Stage Com-pany coordinator with the city of Pleasanton. “I get energized when I see and hear the re-hearsal process; new songs being sung, new dance rou-tines being worked out, and an enthusiastic production staff that loves what they do.” Panto, short for “panto-mime” is not to be confused with the silent “mime” per-formance genre. Rather Panto is a lively irreverent musical-comedy production beloved for centuries in Great Britain, and most often performed during the Christmas and New Year season. “Puss in Boots” follows the panto tra-dition of being based on tra-ditional children’s stories. In this version, the role of the Queen was written especial-

ly for returning guest actor Paula Wujek. Guest artist David Moore has dual roles as the snooty Prime Minis-ter Pratt and the evil wizard Kazaam, which makes him a villain doubly worth booing. “It’s exciting to work with a cast of over 70 local actors, mostly kids aged 6 and up,” said Director Rebecca Ennals. “We’re always thrilled to see our young actors grow into really seasoned performers.” Tickets are $10, $15, $18 general; child or senior: $6, $9, $12. Call 931-4848, visit www.firehousearts.org, or go to the box office at the Firehouse Arts Center Box Office, 4444 Railroad Ave., Pleasanton. A listing of Pleasanton hol-iday events is on the follow-ing pages — add to this the tradition of driving around to enjoy the bright lights and other decorations and you have an exciting season of Holiday Happenings. Morgan Werder as Puss in Boots, with KJ Brown as Theophi-

lus.

David Moore as the evil Wizard Kazaam, a villain worth booing.



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ADVENT LESSONS & CAROLS A traditional service of Advent Lessons & Carols will include selections by the Parish Choir, Angel Voices and congregational hymns. The event is from 5-6:15 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 2, at St. Clare’s Episcopal Church, 3350 Hopyard Rd. Readers will include leaders from in and around the Pleasanton community. People of all faiths welcome. Officiant, Father Ronald D. Culmer. Organ, Michael Secour. Free-will offering; no one turned away. Call 462-4802 or visit www.stclarespleasanton.org$ndex.html.

BREAKFAST WITH SANTA Join Santa for a pan-cake breakfast at the Tri-Valley Y from 9-11 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 8, at Tri-Valley YMCA, 6693 Sierra Lane #F, Dublin. Breakfast includes pancakes, sau-sage, fruit, juice and coffee. Reservations required. Tickets are $10 adult, $7 child. Contact Vicky Mazzanti-Noard at 263-4444 or visit www.trival-leyymca.org

CANTABELLA CHILDREN’S CHORUS Enjoy the music of the Tri-Valley’s Cantabella Children’s Chorus winter concert, “Counting the Joys of Christmas,” at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 15, at Our Savior Lutheran Ministries, 1385 S. Livermore Ave., Livermore. This musical celebration features children from kindergarten through high school age. Tickets are $8-$20. For more information and ticket purchase, visit

Cantabella.org/tickets.

CHANUKAH CELEBRATION Tri-Valley Cultural Jews will be hosting its annual Chanukah celebration at the Bothwell Arts Center, 2466 Eighth St., Livermore, from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 16. There will be latkas, dreidals, Menorah lighting and fun for the whole family. Bring a potato to contribute to the latkas. Bring gift cards for local stores or new household items for the adopted family in need. For details, call Kevin Coren at 240-5612 or visit www.tri-valleyculturaljews.org. Free to members/$15 donation non-members.

CHRISTMAS OPERA: ‘AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS’ Livermore Valley Opera will present “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” a one-act opera performed in English about a crippled boy and his mother who are visited by the three kings on their way to Bethlehem. The performance is 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 8, at First Presbyterian Church, 2020 Fifth St., Livermore. Tickets are $12-$25. Visit www.livermorevalleyopera.com.

COMMUNITY HOLIDAY ‘POSADA’ CELEBRATION The Pleasanton/Tulancingo Sister City Association is sponsoring a traditional Christmas celebration “Posada” from 7-8 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 16, at the Veterans Memorial Building, 301 Main St. The Posada is celebrated in Mexico through music, carols and everyone’s participation. This fun family event with local school stu-dents and the Pleasanton community will include desserts and refreshments. For more information contact Sylvia or Jorge at 462-6723 or email [email protected].

FESTIVAL OF CAROLS The combined choirs at Centerpointe Church will present their annual Festival of Carols and The Joy of


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Christmas at 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 8, and at 4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 9, at Centerpointe Church, Worship Center, 3410 Cornerstone Ct. They welcome all to join them as they celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. A reception will follow the Saturday evening performance. Free to all. Call 846-4436 or visit www.centerpointechurch.org.

HANDEL’S ‘MESSIAH’ Handel’s “Messiah” will be presented from 8-10 p.m., Friday, Nov. 30, at the Bankhead Theater, 2400 First St., Livermore, with soloists and the Pacific Chamber Symphony Chorus directed by Robert Lappa and conducted by Lawrence Kohl. There will be a grand finale Hallelujah audience sing-a-long. Tickets are $30, $36, $45; students $7. Call 373-6800 or visit www.mylvpac.org.

HOLIDAY BOOK SALE Friends of the Dublin Library present its Holiday Book Sale, noon-3 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Dublin Library, 200 Civic Plaza. You’ll find a selection of hardcover books in excellent condition, ideal for gift-giving. Choose from children’s, holiday, gift and gourmet cook books. For details, call the library at 828-1315. Free.

‘HOLIDAY SONGS OF JOY’ Valley Concert Chorale will present “Holiday Songs of Joy” at 3 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 2, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1225 Hopyard Road, and at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 15, at First Presbyterian Church, 2020 Fifth St., Livermore. Joining the Chorale is the Tri-Valley’s Cantabella Children’s Chorus. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door; high school and college students, $10; free for children under 12. For tickets, call 866-4003 or visit www.valleyconcertchorale.org.

HOLIDAY TEDDY BEAR TEA FEATURING THE SNOW FAERIE Soroptimist International of Pleasanton Dublin is hosting a Holiday Teddy Bear Tea Party from 2-3:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Highland Oaks

Clubhouse, 4530 Sandalwood Dr. Girls should bring their favorite teddy bear to enjoy a lovely tea party with holiday treats. And all the way from the North Pole, The Snow Faerie is planning a special visit to delight you with her special magic and sing along. Cost: age 10 to adult, $20; and 5-9 years, $15. Visit www.si-pleasantondublin.org.

JEFF BORDES & FRIENDS This year Jeff Bordes & Friends are offering a “Jazzy-Funky Christmas” at the Firehouse Arts Center from 8-10 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 8, featuring a host of special guests plus local favorites organ-ist/vocalist Don Lewis and the CoolTones Big Band. Tickets are $15-$25 for adults, $22 for seniors, and $12 for children. Call 931-4848 or visit www.firehousearts.com or the box office at 4444 Railroad Ave.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON The Winemaker’s Pour House invites you to its “Make A Difference This Holiday Season” party, from 5-7 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 2, when


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it teams with the Livermore Homeless Refuge to bring warmth to those in need. Come in to choose one of 28 ornaments that will contain the name and size of someone in need of thermal underwear. Return the ornament and thermals by Sunday, Dec. 18. A donation jar will also be available and live music will be provided by the McCoustic Duo. For details, call 215-2656 or visit www.winemakerspou-house.com or www.livermorehomelessrefuge.org.

MOSCOW BOYS CHOIR The Moscow Boys Choir will be at the Bankhead Theater on its “Christmas Around the World” tour at 8 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 22, with traditional melodies, folk songs and Christmas clas-sics from many countries. Tickets range from $43 to $63; $14 for students. Call 373-6800 or visit www.bankheadtheater.org. The theater is located at 2400 First St., Livermore.

ONE-MAN ‘CHRISTMAS CAROL’ AT THE FIREHOUSE Visit the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future in “A Christmas Carol” at 7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 7, when Broadway actor Duffy Hudson comes to the Firehouse Arts Center, 4444 Railroad Ave., in this unique one-man adaption of the classic Dickens tale. Tickets are $16 adults, $12 youths 12 and under, and can be purchased by calling 931-4848 or visiting www.firehousearts.org. Sponsored by the Museum on Main.

PLEASANTON’S ANNUAL HOMETOWN HOLIDAY PARADE The annual Hometown Holiday Celebration will be held from 5-7:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 1, along Main Street in down-

town Pleasanton. The parade will be followed by the lighting of a holiday tree in front of the Museum on Main. Parade viewers are encouraged to shop and dine in historic Downtown Pleasanton. Visit www.home-townholiday.com.

PUSS IN BOOTS HOLIDAY PANTO The Pleasanton Civic Arts Stage Company will present “Puss In Boots” Holiday Panto at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7, 8, 14 and 15; and at 2 p.m. Dec. 8, 9, 15 and 16. This popular annual fractured fairy tale/musical com-edy production will be held at the Amador Theater, 1155 Santa Rita Road. Tickets are available online at www.firehousearts.org, by calling 931-4848, or at the Firehouse Arts Center Box Office, 4444 Railroad Ave. Cost is $10, $15, $18 for general admission; $6, $9 and $12 for children or seniors.

SEND THEM ‘HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS’ All the cats and dogs at the Valley Humane Society, 3570 Nevada St., want to be home with YOU for the holidays. Find yourself a


warm and fuzzy critter to snuggle with and enjoy discounted adoption fees. “Home for the Holidays” runs through the month of December, during normal adoption hours. Closed Tuesday, Dec. 25. For details, call 426-8656 or visit www.valleyhumane.org.

SING-IT-YOURSELF MESSIAH Valley Concert Chorale will host its annual “Sing-it-Yourself Messiah” where the community is invited to sing Handel’s choral masterpiece at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 14, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1225 Hopyard Road, Pleasanton. Singers are encouraged to bring their own copy of “Messiah,” though extra copies will be avail-able. The event is also open to those who wish to just listen. Tickets are $10. To order advance tickets, call 866-4003 or go to www.valleyconcertchorale.org.

SLEEP TRAIN’S TOY DRIVE FOR FOSTER KIDS Help Sleep Train ensure every foster child has a magical holiday this year by donating new, unwrapped gifts to its annual toy drive. Individuals and businesses are encouraged to contribute all-age appropriate gifts such as DVDs, sporting equipment or gift cards at a Sleep Train near you, from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. (6050 Johnson Dr. Ste C) For details, call 800-378-BEDS (800-378-2337) or visit www.sleeptrain.com.

ST. BART’S DICKENS FAIRE Victorian London atmosphere with craft vendors, tea, food and costumed players performing scenes from “A Christmas Carol.” Proceeds to benefit St. Bart’s. The event is from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Dec. 1 and from 1-5 p.m., Dec. 2 at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, 678 Enos Way, Livermore. Call 447-3289 or visit www.SaintBartsLivermore.com.

TAPESTRY IN CONCERT Tapestry, the Bay Area’s only combined vocal and handbell ensemble, presents, “Dear Santa - A Musical Potpourri of Yuletide Wishes” at 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 1, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1225 Hopyard Road. Tapestry will be sing-ing and ringing music for listeners of all ages. The concert is free; however, donations will be accepted to benefit The Alzheimer’s Association of the East Bay. For more details, call Susana Taylor at 768-8025 or visit www.TapestryRingersandSingers.org.

TINGSTAD AND RUMBEL HOLIDAY SHOW Grammy Award winners Eric Tingstad and Nancy Rumbel will be performing at 8 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 15, at the Firehouse Arts Center, 4444 Railroad Ave., a special holiday mix of original and cover tunes with Tex-Mex

stylings, Caribbean rhythms and Americana finger-picking. Cost $15-$25 for adults, $12 for children, and $22 for seniors. Call 931-4848 or visit www.firehousearts.org.

TRADE AS ONE HOLIDAY MARKET This is a great opportunity to shop with a cause. Every item is a fair trade product, which means that products are obtained with a clear conscience so you can buy with confi-dence knowing that the products have been produced in ways that treat both people and planet fairly. This event will be held from 3-9 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 1; and from 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 2, at Cornerstone Fellowship, 348 N. Canyons Parkway, Livermore. Contact Kim Kennedy at 579-5439 or [email protected]

VALLEY DANCE THEATRE’S ‘THE NUTCRACKER’ Valley Dance Theatre presents its 33rd annu-al classical production of “The Nutcracker,” Saturday, Dec. 8 - Sunday, Dec. 16, at the Bankhead Theater, 2400 First St., Livermore. This holiday classic will be accompanied by the Livermore-Amador Symphony. Eight pub-lic performances will take place with evening shows and matinees, in addition to two spe-

cial performances for local school children. Details on show times and tickets ($18-$34) are available at www.bankheadtheater.org, by phone at 373-6800, or at the theater’s box office. For teachers interested in tickets for the school performances (Tuesday, Dec. 11), a ticket order form is available at www.valleydancetheatre.com.

YULETIDE, A VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS Yuletide, A Victorian Christmas at Ravenswood Historic Site will feature Victorian Christmas decorations, gift shop, entertainment all afternoon, a visit with St. Nicholas and buggy rides. The event is from noon-4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 9, at 2647 Arroyo Rd., Livermore. Free admission. Call 443-0238 or visit www.larpd.dst.ca.us.

DOWNTOWNDOWNTOWNAA S S O C I A T I OS S O C I A T I O NN

7/

Bring Home the HolidaysThe Pleasanton Weekly Holiday issues will feature articles

dedicated to helping you make the holidays a sweet and joyous time full of fun, family and friends.

December 7 - All that Glitters - Light up your holidays December 14 - Holiday Magic - Young eyes sparkle with excitement

December 21 - Peace and Joy - Special holiday memoriesDecember 28 - Ring in 2013

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Amador Valley’s junior varsity soc-cer girls opened their season with a first place in the annual Thanksgiv-ing Tournament hosted by Cal High, notching four straight wins over the weekend and scoring 36 points. Play on Friday was highlighted by a strong defense and goal keeping, and just enough scoring to post 1-0 wins over Livermore and Dublin. The first match started with fairly even play on both sides, but mid-way through the first half, freshman midfielder Brookey Villanueva found the net on a shot from 20 yards out, putting Amador ahead, 1-0. Work-ing various different lineups and positions, Coach Steve Boehm was able to keep the defense tight, and Amador closed it out. In the second game the Dons were challenged early but settled in when sophomore forward Sarah Pease beat

the keeper on a breakaway run, finishing off a beautiful through-ball from the midfield. The defense again closed down Dublin’s offense and completed its second shutout. On Saturday the team heated up on offense, scoring two goals within the first two minutes during their first game against an over-matched Antioch squad. Anna Copenhagen, a sophomore midfielder, directed a nice cross into the back of the net on the opening kick-off, followed 90 seconds later by an excellent 12-yard finish from freshman mid-fielder Eilis “Irish” Hagerty. The team added three more goals dur-ing the game — two from freshman offensive midfielder Nicole Tsuno, who, along with Eilis Hagerty in the middle, looks to be a catalyst for the Dons this year. Sarah Pease also connected on a score, and the

team coasted to a 5-0 win. The Dons were more challenged in their second match vs. a fast and well-coached Northgate team, but the defense held firm once again, lead by Katelyn Kramer, Ally Nickel, Bridget Beck, Kate Chase, Rachel Barta and Sara Gibbons. The Dons scored two more goals in the final match, the first an impressive run by Sarah Pease between defenders and an in-stride shot past a diving keeper in the final seconds of the first half. The second came on a glancing, re-direct header combination from Co-penhagen to Pease just before time ran out on the 2-0 victory. The Dons staunch defense com-pleted the weekend with an im-pressive zero goals allowed, allow-ing only a few quality shots along the way, which were handled easily by GK Janelle Richmond.

Pleasanton Ballistic United mom Michelle Lemus was awarded the Wells Fargo Soccer Mom of the Match during the San Jose Earth-quakes game Oct. 21 against the LA Galaxy. Her family received four VIP tickets to the game, including VIP Parking, access to the VIP Tent (free food and beverages), and field access during warm-ups. The Mom of the Match announcement was made before the match started. Lemus was nominated by the Ballistic United community for her tireless effort and time in the soc-cer club. She first became involved with Ballistic United in 2007 when her son, Joseph, then 5 years old, enrolled in the Kick Start program led by Tony Chavarria. In 2009, she became an Age Group Coordi-nator. In 2010, she took on the role as Academy Manager. She first volunteered with Ballis-tic United because of Joseph’s love of soccer. Lemus says about staying

involved in the club: “I have be-come passionate about soccer and care about helping make BUSC the best soccer club in Northern Cali-fornia.” At the game, Lemus thanked the BUSC community for the nomina-tion.

“Once again, thank you for being such a great group of parents and club members to work with,” she said. “I have made several lifelong friendships and cherish every one of them. BUSC is a part of our family and always will be for many years to come.”

Michelle Lemus — Mom of the MatchEarthquakes honor Ballistic United mom

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Four decades of soccer players from Pleasanton schools will be playing in the 10th Ryan Gordon Foothill-Amador Alumni Soccer Games on Saturday, Jan. 5. A game at noon will feature women, and another at 2 p.m. is for men, all soccer players from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and 2000s. The games have become an annual event that benefits the soccer programs at Foothill and Amador. Tickets are $8 adults and $5 students, and all gate receipts and snack bar proceeds go directly to the programs. Ryan Gordon was a 2003 graduate of Foothill High School who was killed in a boating ac-cident shortly after graduating. He played soccer at Foothill for four years and was planning on attending Santa Barbara City Col-lege where he planned to con-tinue playing soccer. The original Alumni Games were organized to fund a schol-arship that benefits a graduating member of the Foothill women’s or men’s soccer team who aspire to play soccer in college. Since the first year all proceeds now go directly to the men’s and women’s

soccer programs at the two high schools. To register to play, send $20 (checks payable to RGSF) along with name, email address, high school team, year of gradua-tion, and whether male or female to Curt Gordon, 205 Heritage Lane, Pleasanton 94566. Regis-tration is also accepted at All Star Sports, 3037A Hopyard Road in Pleasanton. After the games a party will be held at the Hop Yard Alehouse at 4:30 p.m.

AV JV girls take first in Thanksgiving soccer tournament

Team off to great start on new season

Michelle, Joe, Joseph and Kaitlyn Lemus on the pitch during warm-ups before the Oct. 21 Earthquakes match.

Phantom ends season with a tourney firstThe Pleasanton Phantom 14B fall travel softball team ended its fall season with a fi rst place in the “Outwit, Outplay, Outlast” tourna-ment in Hayward on Nov. 10-11. Team members are (back row, l-r) Mark Sanchez, Emily Trinidad, Taylor Smith, Kristen HoTseung, Lauren HoTseung, Dave Bianco, Emily Crimi, Rick Congdon, (middle) Arabelle Franco, Kelsey Congdon, Madie Bianco, Taylor Congdon, (front) Alex Sanchez and Lauren Jepson.

Alumni soccer game scheduled

LEGALS

995 Fictitious Name StatementFOUNDATION REPAIR OF CA FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: 471427 The following person(s) doing business as: Foundation Repair of CA, 2174 Rheem Dr., Ste. A, Pleasanton, CA 94588, is hereby registered by the fol-lowing owner(s): SMP Construction & Maintenance, Inc., 2174 Rheem Dr., Ste. A, Pleasanton, CA 94588. This business is conducted by a Corporation. Registrant began transacting busi-ness under the fictitious business name(s) listed herein on June 1, 2012. Signature of Registrant(s): Mark Phelps. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Alameda on Oct. 31, 2012. Pleasanton Weekly. Published Nov. 16, 23, 30 and Dec. 7, 2012.

997 All Other LegalsCLAIM FOR ADVERSE POSSESSION

File BR12E0058QC; A.C. 112b

Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Bristol, SS. Probate Court

To all heirs of Charles M. Sherman, Morton T. Sherman, Charles A. Sherman, Glen C. Sherman, Howard R. Sherman, Elizabeth P. Sherman, Thomas R. Zeller, Howard R. Sherman, Elizabeth F. Sherman, Charline Weir, Mary C. Sherman, Rodolphus H. Sherman, Mary A. Sherman, Etta Madsen Simonsen, Ishamael Hernandez, Andrew Lee Campbell, Mabel Smith, Mary Mae Campbell Hernandez, Ishamael Hernandez, to Douglas Crane, David Crane, Eileen Zeller Gina L. Hernandez, Linee Mae Marie Hernandez and to all person interested.

A complaint in equity has been pre-sented to said Court by Bakerville Road, LLC.

This is a claim for adverse possession in which the Plaintiff alleges that it, and its predecessors in title, have been in the open, continuous, exclusive, adverse and notorious possession of the remaining land which Elihu Sherman inherited from Lloyd Sherman, without interruption or interference from anyone since 1920, and for at least the twenty [20] years next preceding the filing of this action. Said land is located in the rear of 99 Bakerville Road, Dartmouth, MA, and is more particularly described in the Complaint. The record owners at the time that the Plaintiff’s ances-tors in title commenced the adverse use of the land were Rodolphus H. Sherman, Howard R. Sherman, Morton T. Sherman, and Charline S. Ellinwood [Weir]. Your interest in this matter is as an heir of (Rodolphus H. Sherman, Howard R. Sherman, Morton T. Sherman, Charline S. Ellinwood [Weir]).

If you desire to object thereto you or your attorney should file in said Court at Taunton a written appearance and answer or other legal pleading, within twenty-one days after the 14th day of December, 2012, the return day of this citation.

Witness, Anthony R. Nesi, Esquire, First Justice of said Court, this 26th day of October, 2012. Published: The Pleasanton Weekly. Nov. 30, 2012.

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MIND& BODY

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EMPLOYMENT

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Corner Bakery Caf√© - NOW HIRING! NOW HIRING FOR A CORNER BAKERY CAF√? DECEMBER GRAND OPENING!! Buon Hospitality is opening its first Corner Bakery Caf√© new location in Pleasanton, CA! We are hiring for all posi-tions, including Cashiers, Kitchen Staff, Line Cooks, Catering Drivers, and more! Corner Bakery Caf√© opened its first location in 1991 and now operates 124 locations across the country. Known for its innovative menu featur-ing a wide variety of egg scramblers and oatmeal for breakfast, flavorful sandwiches and signature panini, home-made soups, signature salads, fresh baked goods and an extensive catering menu, CORNER BAKERY CAF√? has been delighting guests nationwide with fresh, made-to-order meals in a welcoming and cozy atmosphere for 20 years. We are looking for people who have a passion for food, retail and customer service! Our ideal candidate will be a self-starter, motivated, dependable, and have the ability to work in a fast-paced environment. To be successful in this position, you must have strong communication, interpersonal, and customer service skills. Restaurant/food service experience preferred. Under the supervision of a focused and driven management team, you will have many opportunities for career advancement! Buon Hospitality employees receive outstanding ben-efits, training and development! To apply, go to our web-s i t e www.Work4PCandF.com or call 1-855-4-PCF-Jobs! If you have a love for the restau-rant industry and customer service, this could be the career for you! *Resumes submitted through this ad will not be considered* Buon Hospitality is an EOE (Equal Opportunity Employer).

BUSINESSSERVICES

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HOME SERVICES

751 General Contracting

NOTICE TO READERS >It is illegal for an unlicensed person to perform contracting work on

any project valued at $500.00 or more in labor and materials. State law also requires that contractors

include their license numbers on all advertising. Check your contrac-

tor’s status at www.cslb.ca.gov or 800-321-CSLB (2752). Unlicensed persons taking jobs that total less than $500.00 must state in their advertisements that they are not licensed by the Contractors State

License Board

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REAL ESTATE

Mason asking Santa for a homeMason, a big tabby sweetheart who’s been at the shelter since September, is the Tri-Valley Animal Rescue’s feline Pick of the Litter for the East County Animal Shelter. Mason is a volunteer favorite because he’s a calm guy, and very much a gentleman, and at the top of his let-ter to Santa is his wish for his very own place to call home. Mason’s got wonder-ful manners, and likes to take things at a very leisurely pace; this is a guy who appreciates the opportunity to stop and smell the flowers. He enjoys being petted, and will give you a gentle tap on the arm with his paw to remind you that he’s there by your side. Meet Mason and all of the other cats and kittens at 4595 Gleason Drive in Dublin. The shelter is open every day except major holidays between 11:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.

PET OF THE WEEK

TO RESPOND TO ADS

WITHOUT PHONE

NUMBERS GO TO

FOGSTER.COM


Doug BuenzOffice

925.251.1111 Direct

925.463.2000

680Homes.com

apr.com | PLEASANTON | 900 Main Street 925.251.1111

High Performance Real Estate

Pended sales of single family homes in Pleasanton actually rose during October, in spite of the fact that inventory remains at very low levels. Fewer than 70 homes were on the market at the end of October, for the second consecutive month. Pended sales, mean-while, ticked up for the third consecutive month. We have to go back to March of 2005 to find a month when inventory was lower and pended sales higher. Inventory began to rise sharply the following months back then. Of course, that was in the spring and summer, which is not the case now, so it seems unlikely that inventory will go up any time soon. Sales were up across market segments in October, while inventory fell only in the $1 million to $2 million price range. Overall, pended sales increased by four to 64 during October, a 7% rise. Inventory fell by two units in October, from 65 at the end of September to 63 at the end of October. There was just under one month of inventory here relative to pended sales at the end of Octo-ber, down slightly from the end of September, when there was just over one month’s supply.

Inventory was unchanged in the market for homes priced under $1 mil-lion at 33 units. Pended sales increased to 48 during October from 47 during September. There was .7 months of inventory in this segment at the end of October, unchanged from September. 75% of Pleasanton’s inventory and 52% of pended sales were in this price range for October. Homes priced between $1 million and $2 million saw inventory fell from >> Go to www.680homes.com to read the rest of this article.

The latest from The 680 Blog

CA DRE# 00843458

Go to 680Homes.com for more information on these homes and other properties.

Stunning luxury home with 4 BR plus office & bonus room, 4 1/2 baths, exquisite granite & stainless kitchen. Luxurious master suite, and private 1/3 Acre lot backing to vineyards with views! $1,444,000

JUST SOLD! Fabulous luxury home in pristine country set-ting! 5 BR plus bonus room, loft, & office, 7 baths, 1 acre flat lot with outdoor kitchen, granite, hardwood floors, and designer features inside & out$1,795,000

JUST SOLD!

Gorgeous Castlewood home with upgrade finishes throughout! 4 Bedrooms plus bonus room, 4 full baths, pool, gated entrance, sweeping views, 3 car garage, hardwood floors, and more! $1,479,000

CASTLEWOOD

Pristine Custom home with 4 bedrooms plus office & loft, 5 baths, state of the art granite & stainless kitchen, traver-tine flooring, designer finishes and touches throughout, and private .46 Acre flat lot on a quiet private road! $1,630,000

JUST SOLD!

Pleasanton Market Update - Defying Gravity

Walk to Downtown! Newer home with 4 BR, 2 1/2 BTHs, new carpeting, new designer paint, gourmet maple kitchen and private yard with stamped concrete patio! $619,000

PENDING SALE!Fabulous remodeled one story with 4 BR plus huge bonus room, luxurious stone master bath, walk-in closet, hardwood floors, skylights, granite & stainless kitchen, and large end of cul-de-sac lot!! $939,000

PENDING SALE!

Via di Salerno

Offered at: $,,

www.LegendsRealtyRubyHill.com

Randall Davidson925.699.3263DRE#01799450

Elizabeth Davidson925.461.3316DRE#01861633

Open House!This Sunday!

Spectacular estate with views of the Ruby Hill eighteenth fairway, club house and

Mt. Diablo. This 6,647 square foot Italian villa sits on a half acre premium lot perfect

for family and entertaining. Renowned Builder John Clawson added many special

features throughout including 5 bedrooms all with private baths, billiard room,

theater room, temperature controlled wine room and charming Italian farmhouse

door. Extensive use of hardwood, custom stone walls, crown molding and French

doors which lead to covered patios on both levels.

Real EstateOPEN HOME GUIDE AND REAL ESTATE LISTINGS

SALES AT A GLANCE

Source: California REsource

DublinTotal sales reported: 22

Lowest sale reported: $182,000

Highest sale reported: $910,000

Average sales reported: $478,295

PleasantonTotal sales reported: 17

Lowest sale reported: $172,000

Highest sale reported: $3,300,000

Average sales reported: $983,735

OPEN HOMES THIS WEEKENDDanville3 BEDROOMS

404 Old Orchard Ct $465,000Sun 2-4 Alain Pinel Realtors 314-1111415 Triomphe Ct $689,000Sat/Sun 1-4:30 Alain Pinel Realtors 314-1111

4 BEDROOMS

911 Matadera Way $1,250,000Sun Coldwell Banker 837-4100

5 BEDROOMS

1052 Hill Meadow $959,950Sun 1-3 Keller Williams Realty 855-8333

Livermore4 BEDROOMS

1485 Chianti Ct $949,000Sun 1-4 Alain Pinel Realtors 251-11113116 Salisbury Ct $679,950Sun 1-4 Alain Pinel Realtors 251-1111

Pleasanton3 BEDROOMS

991 Clinton Place $690,000Sun 2-4 Keller Williams Tri-valley 397-42003127 Cassia Court $624,950Sun 1-4 The Williams Team 918-2045

4 BEDROOMS

7755 Country Lane $1,950,000Sun 1-4 Moxley Team 600-0990

5 BEDROOMS

1817 Spumante Pl $2,600,000Sun 1-4 Melissa Pederson 397-43261473 Via di Salerno $2,995,000Sun 1-4 Randall Davidson 699-3263

San Ramon4 BEDROOMS

8 Westside Pl $1,399,000Sun 1-4 Coldwell Banker 837-41003056 Bernard Ave $545,000Sun 1-4 Alain Pinel Realtors 251-1111


©2012 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker® is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Office Is Owned And Operated by NRT LLC. DRE License #01908304

FREMONTSAT 1-4/SUN 2-5 25 JAPALA COURT

GREAT COURT LOCATION! $730,000East facing, quiet location in court. Great commute access and school. 925.847.2200

6600 ARMSTRONG ROAD40 ACRE W/BARN $349,9501 BR 2 BA 1124 Sq.Ft.Home.Trees,Outbuilding,A-2 Zoning.Possible Split lot.Kitchen updated.Got Horses 925.847.2200

3743 SEPTEMBER CTSOUTHWESTERN STYLE HOME $913,9006 BR 4.5 BA 3,553 Sq.Ft.Remodeled w/Permits.Kit.w/Fam.Rm Combo & Fireplace.Hot Wtr Recirculation Sys. 925.847.2200

SUN 1-4 20893 NUNES AVECOMING SOON! CALL FOR PRICINGCharming rancher within walking distance to shopping & transportation.Hrdwd Flrs,Bckyrd. 925.847.2200

4864 IRIS TER.ARDENWOOD CONDO CALL FOR PRICING1 BR 1 BA Condo w/garage.Elementary School/ Shop-ping Nearby. 925.847.2200

4141 DEEP CREEK #171VERY NICE WELL KEPT HOME! $49,9502 BR 2 BA Copper plumbing,like new inside & out.Storage shed and rm for 2 cars under car port. 925.847.2200

0 MINESCABINS,POOL,2 BARNS $1,250,000423 Acres-New well and 1,000 trees.Has 100 acres level w/no trees.Got Airplanes.. 925.847.2200

0 CONCANNON BLVD.GREAT LOCATION! $425,000Wine related business.Livermore Wine Country.City Planner for all related businesses. 925.847.2200

48400 MINES ROADWANT ELBOW ROOM? $399,950Some Road grading done.Power & Phone ac-tive.8 Separate parcels.-ATV,Jeep, & Dirt Bike use 925.847.2200

17000 DEL PUERTO CANYONGREAT FOR JEEPS/ATV’S & DIRT BIKES $214,950163 Acres.Phone & PG&E Power.$50,000 in grading a 30 ft.rd.into property & bldg pad. 925.847.2200

341 N STREETLOTS OF POTENTIAL! $180,000Level lot for building. Check with City Planning for specifics. Lots of potential here! 925.847.2200

46200 SAN ANTONIO VALLEY ROADGREAT RANCH HOME! $1,249,9502 BR 2 BA 2 Cabins,2 Barns,Huge Swimming Pool & Cabanas.New Well.Got Airplanes...Paved Frontage Road 925.847.2200

1424 PINE AVENICE LAYOUT $135,0003 BR 2 BA Perfect for 1st time buyers or investors.Hrdwd flrs,laundry rm.Good Location! 925.847.2200

DANVILLE1250 COUNTRY LANECUSTOM RANCHER W/POOL! $1,448,0005 BR 3.5 BA Upgraded home w/In-law Apt.Kit/Ba w/Granite.Formal Liv/Din Rrm.5 Stall Barn &raised garden 925.847.2200

DISCOVERY BAY2205 PRESTWICK DRDISCOVERY BAY COUNTRY CLUB! $379,9003 BR 2.5 BA Spacious Home located in gated com-munity.In-ground pool.Backs to golf course.Great Views. 925.847.2200

DUBLIN4008 ORDAZ CTGREAT HOME IN TASSAJARA MEADOWS $595,0004 BR 2.5 BA Bright Open Flr Plan.Built-In Enter-tainment ctr.Laundry Rm on 2nd Flr.Bonus Rm. 925.847.2200

FREMONT

925.847.2200 | 5980 Stoneridge Drive, Ste. 122PLEASANTON

BRENTWOOD

LIVERMORE

SANTA CLARA COUNTY

CASTRO VALLEY

CaliforniaMoves.com

SAN PABLO

Pleasanton | 900 Main Street

Just Sold

[email protected]

DRE# 01317868

www.TiffanyMerieRose.com

PEOPLE BUY

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Just Sold

Just Sold

$1,375,0002431 Pomino Way, Pleasanton

$1,400,0004821 Livingston Place, Pleasanton

$1,060,000305 Kami Court, San Ramon

“Tiffany, you are AMAZING atwhat you do. You are awesome.We were lucky to have foundyou.”

Sylvia and Alberto Solorzano

#1 Office in Pleasanton

in Volume and Sales3 years in a row!

201020112012

5994 W. Las Positas, Suite 101, Pleasanton | www.KWTrivalley.com | 459 Main Street, Pleasanton Broker License #01395362

Cristin Kiper Sanchez925.580.7719DRE #01479197

[email protected] | www.teamsanch.com

Personalized service is always in season

Now is the time to explore your real estate options. Let me put my knowledge to work for you today.

Uwe MaerczREALTOR® DRE # 01390383

925.360.8758 www.realestatebyuwe.com

831 Bricco Court Mediterranean Elegance with expansive, main level casual living areas open to one another, incl. a huge kitchen. Formal living room with coffered ceil-ing, cast-stone fireplace, built-in cabinetry and faux wall finish. Lower level built to entertain pool table & movie theatre, wine cellar and more. $3,499,000www.831BriccoCourt.com

3273 Novara Way - Pleasanton

(Ruby Hill)5 bed/4 full and 2 half bath, 7800 sq. ft. Grand French Estate on .6 acre lot. Exquisite details include Brazilian Cherry and French Limestone floors, beautiful gourmet kitchen, crown molding and wainscoting. Golf course view and rose gardens. Offered at $2,925,000

Mike Chandler

DRE#01039712

925-426-3858 MikeChandler.kwrealty.com

Jill Denton

DRE#01804876

925-998-7747JillDenton.kwrealty.com

We Make Dreams Come True!

Merry Christmas from Mike, Santa and Jill!

DeAnna ArmarioREALTOR® DRE #01363180

925.260.2220 www.armariohomes.com

6872 Heath Court, PleasantonVal Vista single story on cul de sac. 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. 1372+/- square feet. Updated Kitchen with breakfast bar and office nook. Family Room with fireplace. Covered, stamped concrete patio. Walking distance to park and elementary school. Easy freeway access. Offered at $499,000

PENDING!OFFER ACCEPTED = HAPPY FAMILY“We have met several realtors and you are truly the first one that we felt comfortable with. You have always had our best interests at heart. We knew we could trust you 100%. Marc and I are constantly in awe at how hard you work. We put all our trust in Dorothy from day one. As long as you are in the business you’re the ONLY realtor for us! We will always be grateful.” —The Ryback family

Dorothy BrodersonREALTOR® DRE #01779623

925.963.8800 YellowBrickRoadHOMES.com

Cindy and Gene WilliamsREALTORS®

DRE # 01370076 and 00607511 925.918.2045

3127 Cassia Court PleasantonHighly desirable 3 BR, 2.5 BA, 1536 sq ft single family home. Walking distance to Mohr Elementary School. Sunny kitchen and breakfast combo. Large bedrooms and baths upstairs. 2 car tandem garage. This is a must see home!! Offered at $624,950

www.williamsteam.net

Open Sun 1-4

Gail BoalREALTOR®DRE # 01276455

925.577.5787www.gailboal.com

4571 Mohr Avenue

Gorgeous remodeled

home! All the bells

and whistles! Just

move in!

Offered at $699,000

MULTIPLE OFFERS AND SOLD IN ONE WEEKEND!

925.463.0436 www.SoldinaFlash.com

Understated elegance and breathtaking views from this custom home in Grey Eagle Estates. 4 bedrooms, 2 dens and a media room that could also be a wonderful in law set up or guest quarters. Grand marble foyer entrance with old world woodwork and dramatic spiral staircase. Large gourmet granite kitchen with stainless steel appliances and stunning hardwood floors! Offered at $1,690,000 4 Grey Eagle Court, Pleasanton

Ingrid Wetmore, Natalie Kruger & Lisa Sterling-SanchezKeller Williams Tri-Valley Realty

925.918.0986 | 925.847.5377 | 925.980.9265

Dennis GerltBroker Associate DRE # 01317997

925.426.5010 www.buytrivalleyhomes.com

This BMR Livermore home is available now for qualifying buyers (income/family size requirements - City of Livermore approval required). 3 bedroom, 3 bath detached two story family home approximately 1533 square feet built in 2002. A must see! Please call for more information.

Pending

Melissa PedersonREALTOR® DRE # 01002251

925.397.4326www.melissapederson.com

1817 Spumante Place, PleasantonExquisite French coun-try estate on a one of a kind lot in Ruby Hill w/5 BD, 4.5 BA, 6,374 sq. ft. The gourmet kitchen features top of the line appliances, granite counters, maple cabi-nets & hickory floors. Spectacular view lot w/black bottom pool, rock waterfall and spa. Offered at $2,600,000

Holiday Open House Sunday 1-4

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Awarded in 2012 by J.D. Power and Associates

Amazing Agents Doing Amazing Things

pleasanton weekly 11.30.2012 - section 1

Documents

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